Elements Trilogy: Enchantress of the Elements
by CelticStar87
Summary: When we left, Celtic was starting to feel changes within her. What has happened since then? They saved their kingdom once, will they be able to do it again? Second in the "Elements Trilogy".
1. Something's Wrong

**Something's Wrong**

Three years had passed since the "Epic Battle." Celtic Star has come to terms with her new powers and the possibility of, one day, having to become the "Enchantress of the Elements". She still refuses to leave the Island of Fire and Cold. Her and Sir Bane have kept in contact but it had been almost a year and a half since they had seen each other...

"Celty!" Andy's voice snapped Celtic from her thoughts.

"You're home!" She smiled as the General of Fire entered the room. "How was the training?" Andy had been traveling to the Training Island every few months to hone his new element.

"It was great." Andy sat down across from her. "Everyone I saw says 'hello'. They kept asking when you'd visit..." He looked at her. "..." Before he could ask something, Frost busted through the door.

"Hey, you're back." Frost said as he sank into the couch. "Which is good, because Celt has been looking a little run down lately..." He stopped when he noticed the look on Celtic's face. "Celt, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She lied. "Just tired." She stood up and walked outside.

"She's not fine." Andy stated the obvious. "What's happened since I left?"

"I'm not sure. Celt's been really tired lately." Frost answered, the pair exchanged concerned looks before heading outside to check on Celtic.

"Celtic?" Andy called out when they didn't see her in the garden. "Wonder where she could be..." Panic started to sink in.

"Andy!" Frost yelled when he noticed Celtic passed out on the ground. Andy came running around the back of the cottage. "Help me get her inside." The two Generals carefully carried her into the cottage.

"What happened?" Andy asked, looking down at Celtic's motionless body. "Her breathing is weak and shallow..."

"We need to get help... we need Dt and Argyos." Frost replied. "You stay with her, I'll go to the Main Island and then to the Farm Island." Andy nodded.

Celtic could hear their voices but couldn't understand what they were saying. She had been trying to relax outside when her world went black. It felt like there was a force crushing down on her, making it hard to breathe. It felt strange... she seemed aware of her surroundings but she couldn't move. Suddenly, the darkness shifted. She saw a great destruction happening; the faces of those she cared about lifeless. The other Mistresses, the Generals, Nate, Dt, Argyos, Robo, Halo, Essiw, Bane... all laying lifeless on the ground. She saw Liber standing a little ways from her, trying to protect those who were left...

The image shifted again. This time she was in a field with all of her friends. Their dragons relaxing nearby. She was sitting next to Bane, talking and laughing when, all of a sudden, a blast of energy came barrelling at them. She watched, frozen, as Bane tried to shield her from the blast. Before she could see what happened, the image shifted again...

As she looked around she noticed that she was standing in the garden. It was sunset; it was peaceful. "Celtic, what are you thinking about?" That voice sent a wave of emotions through her. She turned and watched as Bane made his way towards her. He was smiling at her. He came to a stop behind her and as she watched herself lean against him, a blast of energy came flying towards them... The image went black and this time the darkness didn't leave.

"Frost!" Robo looked surprise to see the General of Cold burst into the entry hall. "What's going on?" Robo's smile faded when he noticed the look on Frost's face.

"I need to speak with Master Argyos, immediately." Frost replied in haste.

"Frost, it's nice to..." Liber's voice trailed off at the concern plainly written on the visitor's face. "What's wrong?"

"Where can I find Argyos?!" Frost practically shouted. Just then, Dt, Bane, and Aryos emerged from the banquet hall. Frost sighed in relief when he realized he'd only have to make the one trip.

"Right here. What can I do for you, Frost?" Argyos asked.

"You and Dt have to come with me, now!" Frost tried to remain calm. He was generally the level headed one.

"Why? What's happened, Frost?" Dt questioned. She sensed an urgency in the General. "Is everything alright with Celt?" At the question, Frost nearly lost composure.

"Unfortunately, no." Frost remained calm. He saw Bane open his mouth to say something but stopped him. "There's no time to explain." Frost turned and headed outside.

"Robo, keep this quiet for as long as possible. Send a request to have Nate meet us at the Island of Fire and Cold." Liber ordered. Robo nodded once. The four followed Frost back to Celtic.

"Celty, can you hear me?" Andy hadn't moved since Frost left. He'd watched pain, fear, and sadness play across Celtic's face for the past few hours. Other than that, there had been no change in her state.

"Frost, what happened?" Andy could hear Dt's voice outside.

"Andy, has there been any change?" Frost asked as he entered the cottage.

"None. She's not been completely still but she's not really moved either." Andy looked up to see Dt, Argyos, Bane, and Liber standing with Frost. "The only change has been her breathing... it became rapid a few times and then shallow and weak again." He moved out of Argyos' way.

"Hmm..." Argyos looked her over and then stood up. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh.

"What is it, Argyos?" Dt didn't like the look on his face.

"Liber, send for the Mistresses and their Generals." Argyos said. "...and pray that I'm wrong."


	2. New Mission

**New Mission**

"Is the plan working?" A familiar voice came through the shadows.

"Give it time, my Liege." The Lord of Sun and Shadow replied.

"Argyos, what's wrong with her?" Bane's voice was thick with worry. He looked at Celtic as she lay unconscious on the bed. He felt completely helpless.

"If it's what I fear, I'd rather wait till everyone's here." Argyos said. He was still hoping he was wrong.

"Ahhh!" Celtic's scream made everyone jump. She screamed again before going silent. Her breathing was rapid and shallow.

"Is there nothing you can do?" Liber asked. There came a knock at the door and then Nate entered. He looked around the room and noticed Celtic motionless.

"What happened?" Nate asked. He looked at Bane... they all knew that the Archer and Celtic had been close.

"Argyos has a theory but he's not saying anything." Frost replied sharply.

"I'm still hoping to be wrong." Argyos sounded desperate.

"Argyos, you are rarely wrong." Nate said which did not make Argyos feel any better.

"No!" Celtic screamed again. Her body jerked uncontrollably for a minute before she was motionless again.

"I can't..." Bane left the room. Andy wasn't far behind.

"I shouldn't have gone to the Colosseum..." Andy started.

"I should have come to see her more..." Bane said.

"Will you two stop blaming yourselves!" Dt said. The men hadn't noticed when she'd joined them. "If it's what I think it is, there's not much you could have done to prevent it. What I want to know is how they managed it..." Dt trailed off in thought. The cryptic statement doing nothing to ease the men's concerns.

"Bane, Andy, Dt!" Joy, Grim, and Ellie approached. Their smiled faded when they saw the looks on their friends' faces.

"What's going on? Leajey said it was urgent." Grim said; he noticed the stressed look on Bane's face.

"Andy?" Joy noticed that her brother was near tears.

"Dt and Argyos think they know, but they won't say anything until the rest get here." Andy said... not really answering the question.

"Andy, can you go and get WK and Poke?" Liber poked his head outside. Andy nodded.

"I'll go with you." Ellie said. She left with Andy.

"..." Bane let out an exasperated sigh. He ran a hand through his hair. "...I don't like feeling helpless!" His tone was strained and tense.

"Bane..." Her voice was soft but he heard it. Bane entered the cottage and looked at Celtic, hopeful. His hope faded when he noticed that she was still unconscious. Nate rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Leave them alone!" Celtic thrashed again and her head moved side to side. Bane took a step forward, something compelling him. As if sensing his presence, Celtic relaxed.

"Argyos, please..." Frost was losing his composure. The stress was becoming evident.

Andy, Ellie, WK, and Poke entered the cottage. "You sent for us?" WK asked.

"..." Celtic sucked in a breath and sounded like she was in pain. Frost left the room; no longer being able to watch her suffer.

"We're all here." Joy poked her head in. "But I don't think we'll all fit inside." Liber nodded. Nate pushed Bane outside. Liber and Argyos came out after explaining something to the healers.

"What's wrong with her?!" Frost nearly shouted.

"I fear she's been poisoned." Argyos answered a little relieved to get that out in the open.

"What? How? By who? With what?" Andy asked all at once.

"I think she's been poisoned slowly... probably over the course of a few months." Dt. said. "It's not a poison generally found in our kingdom, so it had to come from outside."

"Andy, Frost, can either of you think of anything that might have caused this?" Liber asked.

"Um..." Andy thought and then looked at Frost. "Wait... a couple of months ago she started getting letters from Heat..." He paused, "but you don't think..."

"If he's the cause of this...!" Frost practically growled.

"Frost, calm down. We need to focus on a cure before we worry too much about 'the who'." Liber tried to keep a level head. It wasn't hard to wonder if this really was Heat's doing; it wouldn't be the first time a friend betrayed them.

"What cure?" Bane now spoke. He had been trying to drown out Celtic's screams but was failing.

"We'll need a team to set out in search of the ingredients." Dt answered.

"What ingredients?" Ellie asked. She had not had much interaction with Celtic, but she knew how unique the Mistress of Fire and Cold was.

"There are nine required. Some will be harder to acquire than others." Argyos answered. "Eight represent the eight basic elements. The ninth is water from the Fountain of Youth."

"Each of the eight ingredients will come from eight different dragons." Dt paused. "This will not be as easy as you think. You can not manipulate the elements in order to control the dragon."

"Alright, what are the ingredients?" Frost impatiently asked.

"You will also need to travel outside of the kingdom; at least half must be from wild dragons. It will be a lot stronger if all eight are from wild dragons." Argyos added. "We will need a butterfly chrysalis, Terradiem leaves, Panlong tears, Love's scale, Paper's claw, Reindeer antler, and Bearded's spike."

"How are we possibly going to get any one of those ingredients?" Bre sounded pessimistic.

"We don't have any other choice, Bre." Joy said. "Let's do this."

"How are we going to decide who gets what?" Wolfie asked.

"I want the Mistresses to remain here." Liber said. "We may need you here."

"We will send the Generals out in search of the ingredients. To make it even harder, you will have to get the opposite of your element." Dt waited for the moans to die down. "For example: Andy will have to get the Reindeer antler while Frost has to get the Paper's claw. Work together; work quickly..."

"How long do we have?" Nate asked.

"I'm not sure." Argyos looked at Dt. "This is a bit more complex of a case."

"What do you mean?" Liber asked. "Does it have to do with..."

"I think so." Dt cut off what Liber was about to say. Even after three years and accepting her fate, Celtic still had asked that her new powers be kept quiet. "I'm afraid we'll have to break Celt's wish. Everyone needs to know what we're dealing with."

"Huh?" Echos asked. He looked at the others and then back at Dt.

"Celtic has developed the ability to control all eight elements." Silence was thick as Dt made the announcement.

"And these new powers are complicating the poison?" Latias asked. Celtic's screams could be heard through the window.

"We think so. She shouldn't be reacting like this at all; she should be completely silent and still. The change in her powers are causing visions, but the poison is turning those visions into nightmares. Without this cure, she could be locked in that state forever or..." Argyos trailed off, not really wanting to finish that sentence.

"Or? Or what?" Bane asked. Nate squeezed his shoulder.

"She'll die." Dt said solemnly.

"..." Bane turned his back on everyone.

"Generals, please pack for your journeys. You will leave as soon as possible." Liber said. They nodded and did as they were told. "Take a few dragons with you... you may need the extra protection."

"Bane?" Nate turned to his friend. "How are you holding up?"

"..." Bane looked at Nate but didn't say anything. The stress and worry were evident on his face. "I want to know who's responsible." His hands clenched into fists.

"We will figure that out. Bane, I want you to stay here with Celtic." Liber held up his hand to stop Bane. "I know you want to help, but I think you'll be of more help here."

"Liber's right. I've been thinking that Bane's presence here might help to calm her." Dt looked at Bane. "The two of you have some sort of connection. I think it could help."

"Alright, I'll stay. Keep me up to date, though?" Bane realized that Dt was probably right. Besides, he didn't think he'd be of much help if he was constantly worrying about Celtic.

"You'll do the same for us?" Liber asked. Bane nodded. "We'll check in, some how, every few days. Mistresses, help out where and when need be. And protect her at all costs." They nodded. Nate and Liber took off in search of information that could tell them who would want to harm Celtic. The Generals took off in search of the ingredients needed to save her life.

"My Liege, the Generals are searching for a cure." Shadow said. Justin emerged from the darkness.

"Any word on her condition and how heavily she's guarded?"

"They say she's not doing well. Something is causing her to react differently to the poison." Shadow could have sworn he saw concern flash in Justin's eyes.

"Guards?" Justin asked.

"The other Mistresses, Master Argyos, Lady Dt..." Shadow paused, not sure if he wanted to mention the other name.

"Is that all? Where are Liber, Nate, and Bane?" Justin needed to know.

"Well, Liber and Nate are searching for clues to who might be responsible and Bane is..."

"Bane is where?!" Anger flared in Justin's eyes.

"With Celtic..." Shadow waited for the jealousy to rage.

"...what exactly do you mean by that?" Justin could feel the anger and jealousy grow.

"As in, he's watching over her. I guess they thought it better if he stayed with her." Shadow, again, waited for the rage.

"This time, Celtic will be mine and all who stand in my way will die."


	3. Terradiem Leaves and Butterfly Crysalis

**Terradiem Leaves &amp; Butterfly Chrysalis**

"Bane, sit down before you wear yourself out." Celtic heard what sounded like Master Argyos' voice. She still couldn't figure out what was going on. Darkness still weighed heavily on her.

"I can't sit still." Bane replied. "It's been days..." He voice was full of concern.

"The only change has been her breathing." Joy said.

"And that only seems to be normal when Bane's in the room." Latias added.

"It most certainly is an interesting connection." Argyos said; a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I'm still in the room." Bane stopped pacing. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the wall. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was just sleeping. She looks peaceful... now." As soon as he said that a pained expression played across Celtic's face.

"I wish we knew what was going on with the others." Dt said. "Poke, WK..."

"Right." Poke said as he and WK moved to stand beside the bed. They hovered their hands over Celtic and after a few minutes her face relaxed.

"Any word from Liber or Nate?" Bre asked.

"No." Bane sighed.

"Come on, Wiz." Echo said. The General of Air seemed to be taking his time.

"It's not like this is a life or... never mind." Wiz stopped when he actually thought about their mission.

"Exactly. If we don't hurry as fast as we can, Celtic may die." Echo replied.

"Yes, I know." Wiz retorted. "There should be a Butterfly dragon colony around here somewhere."

"You mean, like right there?" Echo said pointing to a herd of Butterfly dragons in the distance.

"Yep, that's it. The chrysalis will be towards the outer part of the colony... you'll just need to time it right."

"Why do we have to deal with the opposite?" Echo, as General of Earth, was naturally hesitant with anything to do with Air.

"Oh, it's not that bad." Wiz laughed.

"Just wait..." Echo growled a bit as he mustered his courage. He scanned the colony and spotted his target. "Found one." Echo pointed at a chrysalis sitting the closet to the edge of the colony... but it seemed like it was the farthest from them.

"Remember, timing is key." Echo shot Wiz a look. "What?"

"Nothing." Echo muttered under his breath as he began to make his way to the chrysalis. "How on earth am I going to get this back?" Echo looked at the size of the chrysalis... it was bigger than he had expected. Without thinking, he grabbed it and remained still when he thought one of the dragons spotted him. "At least it's lighter than I thought." Echo cautiously headed back towards Wiz.

"Good job... now let's get out of here." Even Wiz was a little unsure of how the dragons would react to them.

"One down." Echo sighed. They just had one more ingredient to gather and then they could return to the Island of Fire and Cold.

"Okay, where are the Terradiem dragons?" Wiz was ready to get this over with.

"Um... the edge of the forest. Closet to the waterfall... they'll be where the three elements come together." Echo replied. They headed in that direction.

"I think your task was easier than Terradiem leaves..." Wiz muttered. They spotted the dragons and Wiz's eyes grew wide. "Well, they're bigger than I imagined." Echo laughed.

"It's not that bad." Echo repeated Wiz's statement from earlier.

"Shut up." Wiz muttered again. "Now how do I do this?"

"If you approach slowly, you might be able to catch some falling when they're grooming. Just don't make any loud noises or sudden movements." Echo answered. "It's all about timing." He grinned at Wiz's facial expression.

"Har, har, that's so funny." Wiz replied sarcastically. He started to slowly approach a few of the dragons. He waited for the right moment and managed to grab five leaves as they drifted to the ground. Echo was trying to hurry him. "What is his issue?" As soon as he whispered to himself, a loud roar erupted from behind him. He turned to see a Terradiem dragon rear up and look directly as him. "Oh, that can't be good..."

"Let's go!" Echo shouted. Wiz started running towards his friend. Avira flew in between Wiz and the Terradiem dragon; giving him the time to get to Beijing.

"That was too close." Wiz said after they were away from the forest. He tucked the leaves into a pouch.

"I tried to signal you, but you weren't paying attention." Echo replied. "Well, looks like our task is done. We need to get back."

"Hey, isn't that Desdemona and Iridium?" Wiz asked when he spotted an Apocalypse and a Platinum dragon near the river.

"Looks like it." Echo said. They flew lower to make sure before landing.

"Wiz, Echo, are you guys heading back?" Nate asked when he spotted them approaching.

"Yes, we completed our mission and were on our way back when we thought we spotted your dragons." Wiz answered.

"Any news?" Echo asked. The bickering and teasing mood he'd just been in shifted when he thought about Celtic.

"There's been no change. Poke and WK are doing what they can to ease her pain but even they're running out of energy." Liber replied solemnly. "We've not discovered anything that might lead us to who did this."

"Do you think it was Heat?" Wiz asked.

"I certainly hope not but..." Nate paused.

"It wouldn't be the first time a friend betrayed us." Liber finished. "There's nothing proving it one way or the other. It could very well be Justin behind all this."

"Justin?" Echo held back a laugh. "Wouldn't this be a little too complex for Justin? Besides, I thought he wanted Celtic for his 'Queen'... why would he try to kill her?"

"He may not have thought that this would kill her." Nate thought a moment... he hadn't thought about the possibility of Justin returning. "If he didn't know the changes that had taken place-are still taking place-he might not have realized."

"We need to gather information before we come to any conclusions." Liber said. He squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"Maybe we should head back with Echo and Wiz?" Nate posed the idea. "It's clear we're not getting anywhere with information around here. Plus, we could use a day to rest and restock our supplies." Liber nodded, too tired to argue.

"Alright, we'll rest here for the night. It will be too dark to travel soon anyways." Liber tried not to think about what might happen if they didn't make it in time.


	4. Panlong Tears and Love's Scales

**Panlong Tears &amp; Love's Scales**

"Let's get this over with." Pickle said. As much as he was worried about Celtic, he just wanted to go back to a normal life. He envied Heat... well, maybe not the potential warrant for his arrest... but for being able to live a normal life.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Wolfie questioned; his tone sad.

"I don't know." Pickle replied. He really didn't know if they'd be able to save Celtic, but he knew they would try.

"Which should we get first?" Wolfie asked.

"Let's get the hard one out of the way." Pickled said, Wolfie nodded. "Panlong tears... we should be able to find them where water, air, fire, and earth meet." They headed to one of the farthest points.

"I don't see any." Wolfie said. "Wait, there's one" A Panlong dragon came into view.

"Wolfie, what are you doing?" Pickle whispered when he noticed the General of Lightning start to approach the Panlong.

"Hiz." Wolfie said when the dragon noticed him and stopped. "Sorry to bother you but my friend needs your help." Innocently, Wolfie began to tell the Panlong dragon all about the Epic Battle and what has happened to Celtic. "That's why I need some of your tears." The dragon nodded, tears already pouring down its face. Collecting the tears into a vile, Wolfie felt great that his hair-brained scheme worked for once. "Thank you." Wolfie thanked the dragon and headed back over to Pickle.

"Not what I would have done..." Pickle said as Wolfie made his way back. He shrugged. "Well, whatever works, I guess."

"I can't believe that worked." Wolfie laughed as they headed towards their next goal. "Love's scales."

"Should be easy enough." Pickle felt hopeful that they'd be back at the island in a day or two.

"I just hope there are some around." Wolfie remembered how shy the Love dragons could be... it was extremely rare to find them in the wild except for a few weeks in February. "To the Berrywhite Mountains."

"Do you see any yet?" Pickle asked. They'd been hiding near the mountain range for hours.

"None." Wolfie replied. "Not as easy as you thought, huh?" He teased.

"Hush..." Pickle grumbled.

"Once we spot one, if you could it to like you, she might just give you the scale." Wolfie said. That earned a look from the Water General. "What?"

"I may consider myself a 'ladies' man' but I am not about to make a dragon like me!"

"You might not have to try hard." Wolfie pointed to an approaching Love dragon. "It looks like she's headed straight for you." He grinned.

"The things I do for Celt." Pickle muttered and then waited.

"Don't just stand there." Wolfie encouraged. Suddenly, Pickle found himself toe-to-claw with a Love dragon.

"Hello..." If it wasn't for a friend, Pickle would not be anywhere near a Lightning element dragon. His nerves were starting to show. He froze as the dragon stretched her neck and sniffed him. After she snorted, she turned her back to him and proceeded to head back the direction she had come from. Thinking quickly, Pickle tore a few scales from the dragon's tail.

"Run!" Wolfie yelled. He'd watched Pickle grab for the tail... not sure what he expected Pickle to do, but it definitely wasn't to pull scales off. Before Pickle could move, the Love dragon turned around and roared. AzuraLuna landed beside Pickle, ready to defend. The Love dragon decided not to pick a fight with the Blue Moon dragon.

"That was close." Pickle said as he and Wolfie made their way back to the island with their two ingredients.

"Any change?" Liber asked as he, Nate, Echo, and Wiz returned to the Island of Fire and Cold.

"None. Her breathing seems to have steadied though." Dt answered. "Have you learned anything?"

"Nothing yet." Nate said, sitting down. The four of them didn't get much sleep and they had decided to leave at first light. They were tired, but they made good time getting back.

"Here, Argyos." Echo handed Argyos the Butterfly chrysalis and the Terradiem leaves.

"You four need to get some rest." Argyos said, taking the items and placing them with the water from the Fountain of Youth.

"Argyos is right. You've done well, now rest. We can talk later." Dt pushed the four men to the tents they had set up out in the garden.

"What's the word, Shadow?" Justin asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Echo and Wiz have returned with the first two ingredients. Liber and Nate are back as well." Shadow paused, thinking of the best way to word the worst news his spies had told him.

"What?!" Justin noticed that Shadow was just staring at him.

"Her condition seems to be unchanging... Celtic's been unconscious for two weeks now. It seems Argyos and Dt fear they may lose her." Shadow said.

"I thought you said it wasn't lethal?!" Anger flared in Justin; everyone in the room jumped.

"It isn't... normally..." Shadow was at a loss as to why Celtic might die.

"Find out what's really going on!" Shadow bowed slightly and headed to send out more spies.


	5. Rose Petals and Bearded's Spike

**Rose Petals &amp; Bearded's Spike**

"She's weakening." Dt said. Liber and Nate were standing just inside the cottage.

"How much longer?" Nate asked.

"I'm not sure." Argyos said. The loss of hope evident in his voice.

"What if we brought in the other healers?" Bane spoke up. "WK, Poke, and Bre can't keep this up for much longer. Since Celtic has manifested the powers of all eight elements, maybe the other healers could help?"

"It's worth a try." Dt nodded.

"Nate and I will stop by and have Gummo and Crthatha report here as soon as possible." Liber nodded. "Pickle, head to your Island and bring Emerilla and Meso. Wiz, do the same with Glammy and Witch." Pickle and Wiz nodded and then made their way to do as they were told.

"Hopefully, this will by us more time." Argyos looked at the five ingredients. "We still need four items."

"..." Bane leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Bane, get some rest." Joy said. "Celtic wouldn't want you doing this to yourself. You've been up for days... we'll let you know the moment there's any change."

"Come on, at least get some fresh air." Nate pulled Bane outside. He gave Liber a look and he nodded. "What's bothering you... besides the obvious?"

"Besides the obvious, I just hate feeling helpless. I feel like I'm sitting around here doing nothing." Bane looked at his friend.

"From what I hear, you're helping Celtic better than anyone else." Nate held up his hand. "Let me finish." Bane nodded with a sigh. "I know you, we go way back and I know how close you and Celtic were... are. You don't open up a lot but you've opened up to her." Nate thought carefully before continuing. "We all saw how protective you were of Celtic... we still see it."

"Nate, Celtic and I are just friends..."

"I'm not trying to imply anything different, but because you are close with the Enchantress, it seems like your presence eases her pain some. At the same time, you shouldn't wear yourself down. Take care of yourself, otherwise you won't be able to help anyone, including Celtic." Nate squeezed Bane's shoulder and then met up with Liber.

"So, Grim, how well do you know Celtic?" Ellie made small talk as she and Grim made their way to find a Rose Dragon.

"We're friends. Not sure I know her as well as Frost, Andy, or Bane, but she's a good friend." Grim replied, his expression still unchanging.

"So what's the deal between those two?" Ellie had heard about the Mistress being close with the Archer.

"Don't believe everything you hear, Ellie. Celtic and Bane are just friends... close friends." Came Grim's honest response. As far as he knew it was the truth.

"Hmm..." She thought about what to ask next. "Why did Heat leave?" She'd heard about that, but not many details.

"Don't really know." Grim responded.

"When did he lose the ability to control fire?" Grim smirked a little, Ellie sure did ask a lot of questions about the past.

"Right after the battle, I believe. That was about the time he made up his mind to leave." It was a good thing Grim know some of these answers.

"What about Andy's element change?" Ellie thought of several questions to ask, but she knew not all of them would be answered... or could be answered, not by Grim.

"Figure it happened the moment he didn't want to return home. Celtic, Frost, and Andy became good friends... guess fate decided to use that." Grim looked at Ellie. "No, I don't know why you were chosen as the Metal General. No, I don't know why we don't need the pendants anymore."

"Oh." Ellie remained quiet for a few minutes. "What will happen to Celtic? If she lives that is."

"She'll live." Grim replied sharply. "Sorry. She can't fight the change that's taken place. She'll become what is known as the 'Enchantress of the Elements'. Once she's use to controlling all eight elements, she'll be very strong."

"And a target again?" Ellie asked.

"I fear she will be someday." Grim looked grimmer than usual. "I just wish we knew who was targeting her now..."

"You don't think it's Heat?"

"No. Heat might have left for reasons, but I don't believe he'd harm Celt. She was too much like family." Grim answered. He knew some of the others thought Heat could very well be behind the poisoning, but Grim didn't.

"Could it be Justin?" Again, Ellie was going on stories she'd heard the past three years.

"That's my guess. Justin doesn't know about Celtic's change so he couldn't have known the poison's adverse reaction to that." Grim, again, answered truthfully.

"There are some..." Ellie pointed at a herd of Rose dragons. "Now, how do I do this?"

"Well, you could try asking..." Grim looked at Ellie. "Or not... but you're best chance of not getting attacked is to just ask. Otherwise, you sneak up and pull some off... seeing how they're near the head..."

"Okay, I'll try asking." The thought of pulling the petals off didn't sit well with her. "Wait, I have better ides... but it may take a little longer."

"And what is that?" Grim thought he already knew the answer.

"Maybe if I sketch them, they'll give me some petals." Ellie grabbed a sketchbook and some pencils.

"How'd I know this was coming." Grim chuckled and then settled in the grass to wait.

"Grim?" Ellie nudged him. His eyes opened. "You fell asleep." She laughed.

"Did you get them?" Grim sat up.

"Yep, they seemed to enjoy the sketches." She said as she dangled a pouch in front of Grim.

"Good, let's get moving. On to the Bearded dragons." Grim did not like this idea. "So where to?"

"Near the mountains; they'll be basking in the sun so we might want to wait till morning." Ellie said. "Guess I took longer than I thought."

"Well, let's get as far as we can before it gets too dark." They made their way to the mountains and found a place to sleep until morning.

"There's one." Ellie pointed to a Bearded dragon basking in the sun. They'd gotten an early start in hopes that they would be back on the Island by the end of the day.

"What's the best way?" Grim asked. He regretted it when he saw the teasing in her eyes.

"Ask?" Ellie busted out in laughter at her companion's facial expression. Grim shook his head but couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Okay, in all seriousness..." Just as he was about to finish asking, the dragon roared. It had spotted them. "Well, great..."

"Oops..." Ellie giggled a little. "Alright, General, you might want to make this quick."

Suddenly, a thought struck Grim and a menacing grin appeared on his face. "Ellie, get on Voltage and be ready to leave quickly."

"Why?" Ellie asked... she did not like the look on Grim's face, but she did as he said.

It wasn't long before Grim found himself face to face with the Bearded dragon. "Um... mind if I take one?" Grim asked as he grabbed one of the spikes under the chin. He pulled and ran when he felt it pull free. He jumped on Ciardha and they took off. Artemis was giving them time to escape.

"Not how I would have done it... Grim, you are either very brave, or very stupid."


	6. Paper's Claw and Reindeer Antlers

**Paper's Claw &amp; Reindeer Antlers**

"Any news as to why she's dying?" Justin asked as he entered the throne room.

"Celtic Star is becoming the 'Enchantress of the Elements'." Came a voice Justin didn't recognize. "That poison you gave her does not react well under those circumstances."

"Who are you? Where is Shadow?" Justin's hands clenched into fists as the stranger emerged from the darkness.

"My name is Kululu. I'm here to help you get what it is that you want, but you have to help me get what I want first." The man said and then smiled. "Shadow was no longer of use to me... something I have taken care of."

"..." Justin understood the meaning of those words. "You can get me Celtic?"

"I can, but you must help me get rid of the rest. Let them continue to think Heat is responsible for the poisoning..." Justin nodded, but something didn't feel right. He remembered Kululu.

"What gives, Frost?" Red eyes bore into his brother's as a blade pressed against the man's throat.

"I should kill you!" Frost was angry; he hadn't expected to run into his brother on their mission.

"Frost, let's think about this..." Andy tried to intervene.

"Back off, Andy!" Frost growled.

"Will you at least tell me why you're going to kill me?" A smirk pulled at Heat's lips.

"How could you? Wasn't leaving enough to hurt her? She might die, you know that?!" Frost watched as realization dawned on his twin. "Yeah, Celtic might die because of you."

"Because I left?" Heat didn't understand. "I don't..."

"No, the poison is what's killing her." Andy said. He was starting to doubt Heat's involvement.

"Poison? What poison?" Heat looked between Andy and Frost.

"The one you laced your letters with." Frost said pressing the axe harder against his brother's throat.

"What letters? I haven't spoken to Celty since the night I left." Heat replied. He rubbed his throat when Frost dropped the axe.

"If you didn't send those letters, who did?" Andy asked.

"Liber and Nate are trying to figure out who is really behind this... but so far they've yielded nothing." Frost said with a sigh. "Last we heard, they have all the healers trying to buy time to finish our mission."

"All the healers? Mission?" Heat was completely lost.

"Celt is changing... her powers are manifesting." Andy replied; confusion still evident on Heat's face.

"Dumb it down, Andy, my brother isn't always the quickest." Frost laughed a little.

"She's becoming the 'Enchantress of the Elements'." Andy tried again.

"Huh?" Heat looked between Andy and Frost.

"She's able to control all eight elements... or she will be able to if she wakes up." Frost said shaking his head.

"When... when she wakes up." Andy corrected.

"So... what mission?" Heat sensed a little friction between the two Generals.

"Gathering ingredients for a cure." Frost replied.

"Which we need to get moving, we're pressed for time remember?" Andy remarked.

"Yeah, let's get the Paper's claw first." Frost said. Andy bit his tongue before saying something... they didn't have time to argue.

"Good luck." He said. He headed in the opposite direction with Pendragon.

"You could come with us..." Frost called out... though he already knew the answer to that.

"Nah, I'm good. I hope she'll be okay, though." He waived and then left.

"You knew that was coming." Andy retorted.

"Yep." Frost said as they took off in search of the Paper dragons.

"There are some." Andy said when he spotted a heard of Paper dragons in a field. "Looks like they're migrating."

"Which means we need to act now..." Frost said as they landed. They kept out of sight until Frost formulated a plant. "Alright, get ready to make a hasty exit..."

"Yeah..." Andy replied. He wasn't exactly sure how Frost was going to pull this off.

"Rawr..." A load roar erupted from on of the dragons. The rest scattered.

"Well, that looks like fun..." Andy muttered when he spotted Frost trying to clip the dragon's claw with his axe. "I swear, if he gets himself killed..."

"That was close." Frost said as he limped over to Andy; a huge grin on his face. "Let's get out of here before he comes around..."

"..." Andy shook his head as he glanced at the unconscious Paper dragon.

"What?" Frost noticed Andy's facial expression. "It worked..."

"..." Andy didn't know what to say. "At least you didn't kill it..." They took off in search of the last of the ingredients.

"Celt would hurt me if she found out I killed a dragon... that, and it wasn't necessary." Frost said. "Head as far North as we can get... that's where the Reindeer dragons will be."

"Great..." Andy muttered. Being from the Metal clan, the cold didn't bother him much, but now that he was the General of Fire...

"They're docile... for the most part." Frost laughed.

"'For the most part'? That doesn't make me feel any better." Andy sighed. Frost laughed again.

"You can always do what I did."

"No thanks." Andy hastily replied. They neared the most Northern point and started looking for the dragons.

"I think we may have to wait till morning." Frost said after several hours of searching.

"Alright." Andy said, too tired to argue. They found a spot and waited for morning. "Frost..." Andy quietly tried to wake the General of Cold.

"What?" Frost moaned; not wanting to be disturbed.

"I don't think we have to search far for the Reindeer dragons..." Andy replied. He woke up to the sound of something crunching. When he looked around he noticed that they were in the middle of a herd of Reindeer dragons.

"That's nice, wake me when get the antler..." Frost mumbled then turned on his side.

"Oh, get up!" Andy whispered and pulled Frost's mat out from under him. "We may need to make a quick getaway..."

"'A quick getaway'?" Frost snickered. "With you acting... I could sleep a few more hours."

"..." Andy turned his back and tried to figure out how to do this. "Let me see..."

"We don't have all day." Frost said impatient to get back home.

"Shut it." Andy practically hissed. "I should have let you sleep..." He muttered. He ignored Frost's comments after that. He slowly approached the closet Reindeer dragon. It raised its head and looked at him. Before Andy could react, the dragon titled his head down... as if knowing what Andy wanted. Using slight heat, Andy took a small point of the antler. Nodding to the dragon in thanks, he turned and headed back to where Frost was standing.

"How the...?" Frost couldn't believe what had just happened.

"I'm not sure... it's like he knew..." Andy replied, also not believing what just happened. "Let's go home."


	7. Revelations and Recovery

**Revelations &amp; Recovery**

"Give me some time to get this together." Argyos said. Frost and Andy had just arrived back at the Island.

"Liber..." Frost needed to tell them that they had run into Heat.

"What is it, Frost?" Liber saw the worn down look on the General's face.

"Andy and I bumped into Heat..."

"What?" The questioned echoed around the cottage as everyone but Argyos and Dt stopped what they were doing.

"He claims he had nothing to do with the letters of the poison." Andy said. He thought a moment. "I'm apt to believe him."

"As am I." Grim spoke up. "Heat might have left, but I don't believe he would hurt Celt."

"Nate and I believe that too..." Liber paused and looked at Nate.

"Have you two found something?" Bane asked as he moved from Celtic's side to allow Dt and Argyos do what they needed to do.

"We have." Nate said. "We have reason to believe Justin is behind this."

"What?" Joy's eyes grew wide.

"But, wait..." Ellie spoke up, "I thought Justin wanted her... to be his 'queen' or whatever?"

"He probably didn't know the poison would be fatal... it's usually not." Argyos said. Dt was finishing up on Celtic. "Now we wait."

"There's more." Liber spoke again. "I received word from Robo that a new threat has emerged. I fear that Justin's working for Kululu."

"Who?" Echo asked.

"I thought he was never coming back..." Dt said.

"Kululu was a young fighter in our first war." Nate went on to tell a little of what happened in the past. "The first ruler left without word. The kingdom was chaotic and many vied for the right to control it. A man, much like Argyos, approached the five of us. He told us that we were the only hope for peace in the kingdom."

"Five?" Ellie asked.

"Liber, Bane, Dt, myself... and Justin." Nate continued. "Two from the Air clan, one from the Fire clan, one from the Lightning clan, and one from the Plant clan."

"Wait, okay, I see the four but who is from the Plant clan?" Wiz asked.

"That would be me." Liber said. "If you'll be patient..."

"Hmm..." The room went silent when they heard Celtic moan.

"Celtic?" Bane looked down at her; her eyes were still closed but she was beginning to move.

"..." Celtic heard his voice but all she could do was move her hands. She felt him gently lay his hand on top of hers.

"Easy... just take your time." Bane knew she was trying to rush things, and as much as he wanted her to, he knew she needed to take time to let the cure work.

"Bane?" Her voice was hoarse from being silent for so long. When she opened her eyes, she saw Bane standing next to her. She smiled weakly but it faded when she saw the look on his face. "What...?"

"..." Bane gasped when he noticed Celtic's eye color.

"Bane, what is it?" Dt asked. Not getting an answer quick enough, she decided to look for herself. "My word..."

"Dt?" Liber asked. The whole was wondering what was going on.

"Her eyes have changed." Dt said after a minute.

"Her hair too..." Bane said when Celtic moved her head slightly, revealing the pale blue sections.

"The change is complete." Argyos spoke up. "The eyes are the indication. I guess the hair is just the affirmation of cold being one of her primary elements. She'll always control fire and cold stronger than the other elements."

"That didn't happen with me..." Dt stated.

"No, but you only controlled one element prior to all eight." Nate answered. "Celtic controlled two."

"I guess that makes sense." Dt nodded her head as she thought about it.

"What's going on?" Celtic tried to lean forward. "Ahh!" She placed a hand on her forehead and fell back on to the pillow.

"Let me take a look." Argyos said. Bane moved out of his way. "Hmm..." He went to get something. "Here, drink that."

"What is that?" Andy asked.

"Some of Claddagh's scales, some of Neon's and Snowmelt's... mixed with water from the Fountain of Youth... and some other things." Argyos really didn't want to mention what else was in it.

"'...some other things'?" Echo asked; though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. He watched Bane and Argyos exchange a look.

"We probably don't want to know..." Bre said, noticing the exchange.

"Best that you don't know what else is in there." Bane said. He helped Celtic drink by supporting her head.

"What will it do?" Frost asked.

"Ease the pain she's still feeling." Dt replied. "It may be a day or so until she'll be well enough to move."

"Liber or Nate, could you continue?" Ellie asked. She was happy that Celtic would be alright but she wanted to know the history of how the Lords and Lady became what they are today.


	8. Heroes of Old

**Author's Notes:**

A little information before the start of Part 8: "Heroes of Old"... As I was working on this part of the story, I figured the previous part (Part 7) led nicely into a flashback. This is the backstory of how the Lords and Lady... and Justin... became what they are.

Setting: 10 years before "Mistresses of the Elements". There are five Islands: the Main Island, the Island of Air and Earth, the Island of Water and Lightning, the Island of Plant and Metal, and the Island of Fire and Cold. There is no one true ruler; the Islands work independently as far as governing. They do trade between each other. There is a "King" (referred to as "The King") who seeks to rule the whole kingdom; taking away the freedoms of the Islands. The Dragon Master (not ruler, just a Mystic... kind of like Argyos) has searched the Clans for those who are destined to stop "The King's" plans. Bane and Justin are the youngest at 15. Dt is the oldest at 24. Liber and Nate at 19 and 17 respectively. The future "Mistresses" and Generals would be alive, probably between the ages of eight and ten... but the war would have been kept from them. The children of the clans were kept in the dark about this so that it would not affect their lives.

**Heroes of Old**

"I've gathered the five of you because you have been choosen for a bigger purpose." The Dragon Master looked at the young men and woman standing before him.

"Bigger purpose?" A young Bane asked. The Fire clan youth looked around the room. Besides the boy from the Lightning clan, he was the youngest there.

"I fear a war is about to break out." The Dragon Master sighed. He did not like involving these young people but had no choice. "You have been choosen to lead the army into battle. Your powers and skills will ensure victory and, ultimately, peace for a unified Kingdom."

"Powers? Skills?" Liber asked. His green eyes darting around the room.

"Some of you will develop powers. Dt, you will develop the ability to control the Earth element. Justin will be able to shoot blasts of energy at will. Nate will develop the skills needed for training the dragons and establishing a strategy that will ensure victory."

"That's it?" Nate asked, a little disappointed.

"You will wield a sword but you will probably be able to avoid direct fighting." Nate nodded and let the man continue. "Bane, you will become a great Archer and tracker. I feel that you will also come to have an affinity with the seasons..." The Dragon Master paused, thinking of a way to explain. "I mean, you will be able to sense the changes in the weather and the seasons. It will be an asset on the battle field."

"What about me?" Liber asked.

"Young Liber..." The Dragon Master looked at the young man from the Plant clan. "Your power will be both a blessing and a curse." This was one power he didn't wish for anyone. "You will be able to call an apocalypse. It will destroy everything and allow you to start over... however, the loss of innocent life will be costly."

"So it will be used only when there is no other hope." Liber said. He knew he could not, willingly, destroy so many lives.

"It will be your choice." The Dragon Master said. "The key to victory is to work together. Trust each other, and peace will come to the people."

Weeks turned into months since the news of their powers and the five developed the skills and powers through training and practice.

"It's time." The Dragon Master said over dinner one night.

"What do you mean?" Bane asked.

"The time as come to prepare for battle."

"Isn't that what we've been doing?" Justin asked.

"In a way, yes, but it's time to really focus on the battle that is inevitable." The Dragon Master had received a message from "The King" that if he did not cease his activies there would be consequences. "These actions of mine have gone on without approval from 'The King' because of the threat you pose to his rule. He seeks to rule the entire Kingdom but still the Islands hold out. The people don't trust him. It is through you that peace will come. You five are 'The King's' biggest threat to fulling his goal of complete control over the Kingdom."

"Do the Islands know about the eminate war?" Dt asked.

"No. I wish it to stay that way. At least, it should be kept from the children. They do not need to worry or fear; they should live a normal life." The Dragon Master replied. The others nodded in agreement.

"What do we need to do?" Nate asked.

"Nate, you will need to work with the..." The Dragon Master stopped when he noticed his Double Rainbow dragon land in the yard. "Follow me." They headed outside to meet the dragon.

"Woah..." Justin said looking at the two-headed dragon.

"What do you have for me, Helix?" The Dragon Master noticed the dragon was carrying something. "Eggs?" He noticed five eggs in a basket.

"What?" Nate asked.

"There are five eggs... I believe these are your dragons." The Dragon Master took an egg out of the basket. "One of the Treasure dragons... a Gold dragon. Justin, this belongs to you." He handed the Gold dragon egg to Justin.

"This egg is unique." Dt picked up a gray and purple egg.

"That is an Amethyst dragon egg." The Dragon Master explained. "One of the Gemstone dragons and your dragon." He picked up a black egg that looked to have a glowing, red center. "Fitting for the warrior who can call an apocalypse. This is an Apocalypse dragon egg." He handed the egg to Liber.

"When will they hatch?" Dt asked.

"In a day or two." Bane answered.

"There are two eggs left: a Platinum dragon and a Seasonal dragon." The Dragon Master handed Nate the Platinum dragon egg which left the Seasonal dragon egg for Bane. "Usually, the dragon must hatch before knowing it's owner but these are special times."

The eggs hatched the next day and the warriors soon found themselves with their hands full. Concerns grew about whether or not the dragons would be ready for battle. It seemed that the battle could be any day, as the pressures from "The King" grew.

"Feed these to your dragons." Bane handed out some of beanstalks.

"Why?" Justin asked.

"The beanstalks will speed up the growing process and will allow the dragons to be ready in time." Bane replied. The dragons ate beanstalks for two days and were then fully grown.

"Watch out!" Dt shouted. They were standing in a field, running through a few strategies when they were attacked.

"Is everyone okay?" Liber asked. They had avoided a direct hit but the shock wave was enough to knock them off their feet.

"What was that?" Justin asked.

"A warning." Nate answered. "I expect them to be more frequent until they make their big move."

"We should retaliate!" Justin stated. He was ready to get this stuff over with.

"We're still not ready." Liber said.

"We've been training for months..." Justin retorted. "At this rate, you'll never think we're ready."

"Justin..." Dt gave him a stern look, but that only fueled the boy's anger.

"Liber is holding us back. We'll never be ready with him leading." Justin complained.

"We work together as a team, Justin. It's that attitude that shows me we're not ready." Liber replied.

"There will be a day when we'll fight. Just not today." Bane said. He did not like the tension that was mounting.

"We definitely don't need the tension between us in battle." Nate added. "We need a strong bond between us if we're going to defeat 'The King'."

"Let's just get back to work." Dt said. She had a bad feeling about Justin's unwillingness to work together.

"The weather is shifting." Bane said a few days later. "It should be shifting in our favor."

"So, does this mean we can attack now?" Justin said.

"Soon, Justin." Dt said. Justin had been anxious the past couple of days. He fought back almost every step of the way.

"What is your rush to go into battle?" Nate looked at Justin who was now standing by the window.

"I'm getting bored with this training. I want some action." Came Justin's response which only caused Liber and Nate to shake their heads.

"Okay, what's the rush to risk going into battle unprepared?" Bane asked.

"We're ready." Justin said.

"We're as ready as we'll ever be if the weather is turning in our favor." Liber said after a minute. The snow had been heavy this winter and would have been a disadvantage for them.

"The weather will warm up and the snow will start to melt." Bane said. They could fight on a muddy field a lot better than they could in snow.

"When can we fight?" Justin asked.

"In a few days. Three to be exact." Bane was getting a lot better about noticing the changes in the weather. It helped that Arbor, his Seasonal dragon, was slowly starting to change into his Spring form.

"Then we still have a few more days to prepare." Nate said.

"You've wasted your time, Dragon Master." "The King" said as they stood on the battle field. "You cannot defeat me."

"Watch us!" Justin shouted.

"Hush." Dt said. "Why does this outfit have to be white?"

"There is no time for vanity, Dt." Liber said. Dt's powers had grown over the course of just the past few days. She was now able to control all eight elements. Something that would aide them tremendously.

"I know." Dt replied and she forgot about the outfit.

"Attack!" "The King" shouted.

The battle raged on. It looked like all hope was lost. Liber stood towards the back of the line and watched Justin, Bane, Dt, the Dragon Master, and the dragons fight as hard as they could. He felt as though he had no choice; it looked like they were going to lose the battle.

"I have no choice." Liber said as he steadied himself. "I call upon the ancient powers..." The air around him began to shift as the ancient powers obeyed.

"Liber, don't." Nate was standing at the back lines commanding the dragons. "Give them time."

"Ancient powers, rise and grant me..."

"Liber, have you thought about the consequences? Think about the innocent lives that will be lost. Give them time and get in there and help!" Nate shouted.

"Do you trust us?" Bane asked as he came to stand in front of Liber.

"Yes." Liber spoke without hesitation.

"Then fight with us. Trust that we will win." Bane extended his arm to Liber. After clasping forearms, Liber and Bane headed back into the battle. Victory was theirs in the end. "The King" and his men surrendered.

"I say, kill them." Justin remarked.

"Banish them for all time." Liber suggested. "No more lives need to be lost; no matter how evil."

"Spoken like a wise leader." The Dragon Master looked at Liber and smiled. Before he could make his verdict, "The King" attacked.

"No!" Bane reacted on instinct and an arrow pierced "The King's" heart.

"Thank you, Bane." The Dragon Master nodded at the Archer. "I sentence you all to permanent exile. You are, hereby, banished from the Kingdom. If you return, the consequence is death." He declared.

"I won't come back here... there's nothing left." A young fighter stepped forward. His blue eyes looked at those around him.

"What's your name?" The Dragon Master asked.

"Kululu. No need to remember it though." He turned and left the battle field.

"Liber... you hair is..." Nate said when he noticed that Liber's hair had turned black.

"It happened when he called on the ancient powers." The Dragon Master turned to face them. "Just as when you all harnessed your powers and skills on the field of battle, your eyes turned silver."

"What?" Liber looked around at the others; sure enough their eyes were silver.

"Come, there is much to discuss, but first we all need to rest." The Dragon Master said.

"What will happen now?" Nate asked at breakfast the next morning.

"You will each be given responsibilities. You have proven yourselves worthy of the people's trust and respect." The Dragon Master replied. He thought for a minute. "The Kingdom will grow under your leadership and teamwork."

"Alright, who's doing what?" Justin asked impatiently.

"Dt, you will be in charge of the Gemstone dragons. Under your direction and care, they will prosper. They will become a major source of income for the Kingdom." Dt nodded, accepting her position. "Bane, you know the seasons. You will be in charge of the main supply of food for the Kingdom's dragons. Each island will have a small farm in which to grow their own dragon food, however it will be your job to insure that the Kingdom's dragons will never run out of food."

"What about me?" Justin was still impatient.

"Nate, you will be in charge of the Colosseum. Under your direction and planning, I think it will become a great source of entertainment for people and dragons alike. This way, the dragons will always stay sharp." The Dragon Master ignored Justin. "Liber, you will be in charge of the breeding cave. Under you guidance and dillegence, the Kingdom's dragons will grow in number and diversity. Justin, you will be second to Liber." The Dragon Master paused. "There will be no "supreme" ruler; you must all work together to insure that peace remains which brings me to something else..."

"What is it?" Liber asked. He was not about to give Justin time to protest.

"Before I get to that... I forgot to mention that you will have an apprentice. Liber, Blue Bruin will be your apprentice. Nate, Essiw will be your apprentice. Bane, Halo will be your apprentice. They will all oversee what needs to be done in your absences. Dt, you will have the right to choose whether or not to have an apprentice. There is a reason the others do not." The Dragon Master paused. Now that peace had come and the Kingdom unified, it was time to mention the prophecy that would change things for a lot of people. "I'd like you to meet my son, Argyos." A young man entered the room. He looked like a younger version of the Dragon Master.

"I don't understand..." Nate said.

"I'm retiring. My son knows all that I know, and more." The Dragon Master replied. "However, there are some things that must be given to Dt." Argyos handed Dt 12 velvet bags. "Guard these. These necklaces will awaken very important people should the time arise." The Dragon Master didn't go into too many details about the prophecy; just enough so that they would understand should the time come. Justin got fed up with being second to anyone and decided that it was better that he left. He vowed to return one day and claim what he believed belonged to him. The Lords and Lady settled into their new lives... the stories of their heroism slowly diminished over time... it would be another ten years before their way of life would be threatened.

_-end flashback-_

"So the pendants awakened our powers?" Echo asked. Everyone had been listening to the story. Celtic was sitting up resting against the wall. Bane was still trying to get her to drink the tonic.

"Yes." Dt answered. "When Justin's threat came, we knew what had to be done. We knew that it meant that twelve people would have to give up their normal lives. There was no other choice."

"I can't believe Justin was good..." Andy said. "I mean..."

"Yeah, Justin did not want to be second in command... an error Kululu is making now." Liber nodded. "What we didn't expect was what actually happened. We didn't except for a General to walk away, for a General to switch elements, for a new General to be awakened, and for one of the Mistresses to become the 'Enchantress'." Liber looked at Celtic.

"Why don't we need the pendants anymore?" Ellie asked.

"When your powers were newly awakened, they needed the help of the pendant... now that you are stronger in your control and in your powers, they are no longer needed. The power of the four crystals still remain inside of the Mistresses. I'm not sure when those will manifest into crystals again..." Argyos replied.

"Let us all get some rest, especially you, Celtic." Liber said. Celtic nodded weakly.


	9. Confession and Attack

**Confession &amp; Attack**

"Where's Celtic?" Bane asked when he noticed that she wasn't in the cottage. It had been a few days and Celtic was feeling a lot stronger.

"Outside; she wanted some fresh air." Andy answered. He'd watched Celtic struggle with some stuff the past few days and knew she just wanted to be alone to think.

"Oh." Bane hesitated but then went to look for her.

"Leave her be." Dt said when she noticed Bane come out of the cottage. He looked at her but still proceeded to search for Celtic.

"I know, Liber." Celtic had been thinking about the things she had seen when Liber approached her. "We'll deal with it when in comes. I trust you and the others to be there when needed but I'm fine now. Send them all home."

"At least let me..." Liber started.

"I'll be fine. There's no reason why anyone should have to put their lives on hold for me anymore." Celtic interrupted; Liber nodded.

"Celtic?" Bane approached her after Liber left. "Sorry..." He said when he saw her jump a little.

"Didn't hear you approach again." She smiled at him but it didn't reach her eyes. "I guess I was lost in thought again."

"It happens." He smiled but it faded when he noticed the expression on her face. "Anything you want to share?"

"Just wondering why..." She looked up at the sky.

"Why what?" Bane asked after a minute.

"Why me... why was I chosen for this..." There was so much more on her mind but she wasn't sure how to word it.

"Only time will tell, I guess." Bane looked at her. "Is that all?" She shook her head. "I'm not going to push you; only share as much or as little as you want."

"I'm confused." Celtic struggled to find the words. "..." She turned her back to him when the tears broke free.

"Celtic..." Bane sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He walked over to her and wiped the tears away. "You can tell me the truth..."

"Bane, I... I just don't want to ruin anything." Celtic fought back the tears and held her head up. Looking him in the eyes, she knew this was a hard decision. Andy had encouraged it, but she had said there was no point. She knew opening her heart meant the risk of getting hurt, but the visions she'd seen had shaken her. "..." She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, "...not sure I realized how hard this would be..."

"You don't have to say anything." Bane wasn't sure what she was going to say but it was obvious she was struggling.

"Yes I do... after everything I've seen and been through... we both deserve the truth." Taking one last deep breath, Celtic mustered the courage she'd been lacking. She looked him in the eyes and knew it was now or never. "Bane, I think... I know my feelings for you have changed." She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting. "I'm not sure when they changed, I just know they have. I don't want to ruin our friendship, but you deserve the truth from me... I'm starting to see you as more than a friend." She took in a shaky breath and let that part sink in.

"Celtic..." Bane wasn't sure what to say, but before he got the chance, she kissed him on the cheek. She stepped away from him and smiled weakly.

"It won't work, I know. You just deserved to know the truth." With that, Bane watched Celtic walk away.

"Did you tell him?" Andy asked when Celtic walked into the cottage. She nodded. "And?"

"And what?" Celtic looked at the Fire General. Her silver eyes were guarded.

"Alright, everyone's heading home. If you need anything, send for it." Liber looked at the Enchantress. "Rest. I'm afraid the worst isn't over yet."

"You too, Liber." Celtic nodded.

"Take care not to over do it, Celt." Dt said before she left. Everyone had left except for Bane.

"Celtic, please be careful." Bane approached the Enchantress as she was standing with Claddagh. "We'd be lost if anything happened to you."

"I know... I'd rather not have this pressure-and ultimately the target that comes with it-but, it is what it is. Something or someone thinks I'm strong enough to handle the responsibility of being 'Enchantress of the Elements'." Celtic look at him and smiled. "I'll be fine, Archer."

"Yeah." Bane smiled and then watched her walk away for the second time that day. "Friends?" He called after her.

"Always!" Celtic smiled brightly and watch as he headed home.

"She's alone." Justin reported. He did not like being the messenger and he did not trust Kululu.

"Good." Kululu turned to face "The One" and smiled. "I need you to gather all the troops and dragons that you can. It won't be long before battle rages."

"As you wish." Justin paused. "Celtic will be unharmed, right?" He asked, unsure if Kululu would tell him the truth.

"Of course." Kululu said; Justin knew it wasn't the truth, but he couldn't do anything about it now. "Now go!" Justin nodded and then left.

_-A few weeks later-_

Celtic stepped outside and filled her lungs with the cool night air. It was yet one more night in a series of many that she found herself unable to sleep. She blamed the nightmares; the vivid nightmares that seemed so real.

"Celtic?" She looked in the direction the voice had come from. A man stood a few feet from her.

"Who's there?" Something in her told her to run, but fear froze her to the ground.

"I've been waiting for you..." His voice trailed; it was unfamiliar.

"Who...?" Celtic took a step back. He countered; grabbing her arms forcefully.

"No need to fight me." He traced the scar around her eye. He rested a hand on her waist and pulled her close. She tensed; leaning away from him. "No need to fight me." Celtic tried to pull free, but his grip was too strong.

"Let go!" Celtic shouted. The ground shook as Claddagh came running around the side of the cottage. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain rip through her side. Instinctively, she reached down and could feel the blood soaking her clothes. Before she could think, the man was gone and she found herself on the ground. Everything was getting hazy. She heard Claddagh's loud roar before succumbing to the darkness.

Bane wasn't sure why he was awake. He'd been up early and had been working hard in the farms all day. He should have given into exhaustion hours ago. As he stepped outside, Arbor came rushing over to him. The Seasonal dragon seemed very anxious. "What is it Arbor?" The dragon motioned for him to climb onto his back. As soon as he was on, Arbor took to the sky. The closer they got to the Island of Fire and Cold, the more dragons they seemed to hear. Bane had flown this area at night before, but it had never been this noisy. There was one dragon's roar that was heard above all others... Claddagh.

"..." Shallow breathing got Bane's attention when he landed near Celtic's cottage. As he turned the corner, he was greeted with a snarl from Claddagh.

"Claddagh, it's only me." Bane reached out and patted the dragon on the nose. "What's happened?" Claddagh moved aside and Bane froze.

"..." Celtic sucked in a breath as the pain seemed to spread.

"Celtic?" Bane knelt down by her side. He could tell that she was covered in some sort of liquid but wasn't sure what.

"Bane?" Her voice was weak and she could barely open her eyes. "Some... someone..." She gasped as another wave of pain shot through her. "Blood..." It was the last thing she said before succumbing to the darkness once more.

"Claddagh, get the Generals and Healers!" The Celtic dragon reluctantly obeyed. Bane gently carried Celtic inside. He lit some lamps and that's when he noticed the amount of blood. "Hold on, Celtic..." He cleaned her up as best he could.

"What's going on in here?" Frost entered the cottage.

"Bane?" Andy looked at Bane, then at Celtic, and then at all of the material that had been used to clean up the blood.

"She's been stabbed." Bane answered; he looked at Celtic and wondered if he had been too late.

"Let us take a look." Poke and WK entered the a cottage a few minutes later.

"How bad is it?" Andy asked. He hadn't missed the amount of blood.

"I want to know who did this." Frost's voice was laced with anger.

"..." Celtic started to come to. She sucked in a breath and placed a hand on the wound. "Some... someone..." She tried to say something.

"Don't speak." Bane hushed her. He watched as Celtic tensed from pain as Poke and WK tried something.

"I wonder who could have done this." Andy's voice was calm but worry was still there.

"Justin?" Frost posed.

"Ahh!" Celtic's scream echoed in the cottage as the pain became too much.

"Whoever did this made sure it would be hard to heal." Poke said. "It would be better if she passed out again."

The men had to hold her still while Poke and WK tried their best to heal her. "..." WK sighed. "We may need to knock her out. This movement is only complicating things."

"Never mind." Poke said when he noticed Celtic stilled and her breathing evened out some. Bane, Andy, and Frost stepped away and gave the Healers more room to work.

"Done... for now." WK said about thirty minutes later. "I don't think her body would be able to withstand much more right now. If we continue, our healing could kill her." The Healers stepped away from Celtic and then headed outside.

"What was she trying to say?" Andy asked. There was silence for a moment.

"'Someone'." Bane thought out loud. "But who?"

"Justin." Frost said it with certainty. "It has to be... He wants her for himself but if he can't have her..."

"Why try to kill her? Why not kidnap her?" Bane asked. He didn't like either option.

"She'd fight if he tried to kidnap her. Besides, he's no match against her powers." Andy replied. He and Frost headed outside.

"Bane..." Celtic's whispered voice caused him to turn around. "..." She sucked in a breath when she tried to move.

"Don't move." Bane went to her side and gently held her down. "You need to rest."

"Yeah..." She said; not having the strength or the energy to fight. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side. Bane traced the scar around her eye as the memory of that day hit him like a tidal wave. The day had changed her in more ways than anyone knew. Thinking she was asleep, he bent down to kiss her cheek; something she had done to him only weeks ago. When he felt her lips touch his, he froze.

"Celtic, I'm so sorry." He stood up quickly and took a step back. He hadn't meant to do that.

"Bane, please don't..." Celtic's soft pleading made him look at her. She smiled softly but it didn't reach her silver eyes; eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Don't apologize... you've done nothing worth an apology." Her smiled faded and she turned her head away from him... but not before he saw a tear escape.

_Why is she crying?_ Bane thought to himself. Muffled sobs echoed in the small room. "Celtic..." He approached cautiously. He gently placed a finger under her chin and turned her face to look at him. "Tell me, what's wrong, please." She closed her eyes tightly as more tears flowed down her cheeks. "Celt..." He sighed knowing he wasn't going to get anything out of her now. She was closing herself off again.


	10. Things Unexpected

**Things Unexpected**

"Geez, Celt, did you get any sleep last night?" Andy asked the next morning; he noticed the redness and tired look in her eyes. She shook her head. "You need to rest if you're going to get better."

"I wonder what he did this time..." Frost thought out loud. He didn't realize Bane was standing just outside the open window.

"Don't... don't you dare..." Celtic said in a tone sharper than she meant. "Ahh!" A sharp pain shot through her abdomen.

"Celt?" Andy jumped to his feet as Celtic passed out again. Bane, Poke, and WK rushed inside.

"Let's see what we can do..." Poke said as he and WK made their way to Celtic.

"Whoever did this... they wanted her dead." WK said after a few minutes. "There's not much we can do anymore. This wound is too severe for us... we'll have to send for Bre."

"Alright, I'll go." Bane said; he needed to do something.

"No." Andy replied. "I'll go. Bane, she needs you here." Bane's face showed his confusion to that statement. Andy left without giving Bane a chance to protest.

"Don't hurt her..." Frost threatened.

"I would never hurt her..." Bane replied. He thought about the night before and quickly added, "not intentionally."

"Let her rest for now." WK broke the tension. Frost sent Bane a look that made sure to let the Archer know he was serious. Frost, WK, and Poke headed outside while Bane sat on the couch. He noticed when Nate arrived but didn't get up to find out why.

"Bane?" Her voice jolted him from his spot and he found himself next to her without realizing he had moved.

"I'm here." Bane took one of her hands in his. She smiled warmly at him. He noticed a tear escape and reached over to wipe it away. "Please, tell me what's on your mind... what's making you cry?" He pleaded; he wanted her to open up... to tell him the truth. "Celt..." She placed a finger on his lips to silence him.

"Stop." Celtic winced a little. "Don't blame yourself... don't apologize for anything. Please, don't beat yourself up... none of this is your fault." She winced again but looked him in the eyes. Her eyes were warm and gentle, but guarded. He nodded; knowing he'd probably continue to worry that he had done something to cause her pain. "I said stop..." She watched a smile cross his face and then he laughed a little.

"You know me too well, sometimes, Enchantress." Bane shook his head but the smile remained.

"As you know me, Archer." Celtic smiled brightly before closing her eyes. Bane turned his back to her and leaned against the side of the bed. Closing his eyes, he tried to will away thoughts of her... of her and the unexpected kiss.

"Bane?" Nate's voice was whispered. Bane looked up to see him standing in the doorway. "Do you want to talk?" Bane looked down at Celtic. Deciding that she seemed to be in a peaceful sleep, he nodded and headed outside. "How are you holding up?"

"..." Bane wasn't sure how to answer. "Well, I've been better."

"Obviously." Nate chuckled. "Are you going to tell me something I don't already know?"

"I kissed her." Bane hadn't meant to blurt it out. Nate stared, wide-eyed for what seemed like forever. "It was an accident... I didn't mean to."

"You?" Nate was still in shock. "You kissed...?"

"You what?" Andy came around the corner. Bad timing. "Is that why her eyes were red this morning?" Bane shrugged.

"I don't know for sure but I think so..."

"I warned you not to hurt her..." Frost came up behind Andy, axe in hand.

"Frost, stop." Her voice made them look at the cottage. Celtic was leaning against the side with her hand pressed against her abdomen.

"Celty, what are you doing?" Andy started to go to her but she stopped him.

"You need to stop... all of you. Just stop worrying about me!" Celtic fell to her knees but still no one moved. "Just, please, stop worrying... stop fighting... There are big... bigger things to worry about... there will b-be bigger battles to fight." Her breathing was labored. Bane took a step towards her, only to be met with an axe in his face.

"Take another step, Archer..." Threat lingered in Frost's voice.

"Gust!" Celtic's command was strained, but effective. Frost was knocked off his feet. "I said to stop..." She stood on shaking legs; blood flowing from her wound.

"Celtic..." Bane reached her and she collapsed into his arms. "You should be resting... not knocking people off their feet." Celtic smiled softly before closing her eyes.

"Well, are the troops ready?" Kululu asked Justin as he entered the room.

"Mostly." Justin replied. "They will all be ready in a day or two."

"Good." Kululu thought for a moment. "Though... we may not need all of them..."

"What do you mean?" Justin didn't like the tone of Kululu's voice.

"Nothing you need to worry about!" Kululu spat. Justin dropped it but still felt like Kululu had done something drastic while he'd been gone.

"We need to figure out who did this." Nate said. Liber and Dt had joined him and Bane on the Island of Fire and Cold once they received word that the Enchantress was injured.

"I knew I should have posted guards..." Liber stated.

"I told you not to." Celtic said. With Bre's help, she was starting to feel a lot better. She was still tired but the pain was ceasing and the wound was completely healed.

"I know, but..." Liber started again.

"I wish people would stop blaming themselves for what happens to me..." Celtic stood up and headed into the garden.

"It seems her feistiness is back..." Nate smiled a little. "That's a good sign."

"I still think it was Justin..." Frost said; trying to ignore what Nate had said.

"The poison didn't work as he intended... if he can't have her, it's safe to assume that he would make sure nobody could." Dt replied; the thought of this being the work of Justin had crossed her mind a time or two already.

"What exactly was the poison supposed to do?" Andy asked.

"It was supposed to allow Justin to control Celt." Dt thought of how best to explain it. "That poison requires that blood be added to it. The blood that is added gives that person the ability to control the person who is poisoned."

"Celty's change prevented that?" Andy was starting to understand.

"Yes... at least that was part of it..." Dt said and then looked at Bane.

"What?" Bane noticed everyone was looking at him.

"Yeah, I noticed that when she called out it was usually his name." Liber said thoughtfully... a hint of teasing in his voice as well.

"I think the connection between the two-that strong friendship bond-plus the changes prevented the control." Dt spoke, shaking her head at Liber's facial expression.

"But what about everything else?" Frost asked.

"The change brings visions... visions of things that may or may not happen." Dt said. She was talking from personal experience. "I think the poison may have altered that."

"What do you mean?" Nate asked.

"The visions might have been more..." Dt started.

"Visions? Try nightmares." Celtic said when she came back in. "If these images... these 'visions' are of things to come..." She closed her eyes. "I don't want them..."

"Celt?" Andy watched as Celtic remembered the visions she's had.

"So much death... so much destruction..." Celtic shook her head as if trying to shake away the images.

"That's what I was afraid of." Dt sighed. "You're still having them?" Celtic nodded.

"Didn't your visions stop once you fully changed?" Nate asked Dt.

"Yes." Dt thought a moment. "I wonder if the poison changed that..."

"Celtic, do you have any idea who did this to you?" Liber asked, getting back on topic.

"It wasn't Justin. I didn't recognize his voice." Celtic stood next to Bane.

"So it's safe to assume it wasn't Shadow either..." Frost said.

"I can tell you it wasn't me." Shadow stood in the doorway. Bane pulled Celtic behind him as Nate and Liber drew their weapons. "Okay, I know I probably deserve the hostility but can I say something?"

"You know the consequences for returning." Liber said, blades still drawn.

"Let him speak." Celtic said. She stepped out from behind Bane, but he stayed close and alert.

"But..." Andy started but stopped when Celtic gave him a look.

"Alright." Liber sighed.

"Kululu wants the Enchantress dead." Shadow began.

"Why should we believe you?" Frost questioned.

"Kululu thinks I'm dead. He tried killing me when I learned of his plan." Shadow continued. "I'm sure he's managed to convince Justin to work for him. Probably promised him Celtic."

"Justin's an idiot." Frost muttered.

"Something big is coming. It's only a matter of time before Kululu makes his biggest move yet." Shadow said.

"Celtic is still in no condition to fight." Andy remarked.

"He's counting on that. Celtic's his biggest threat." Nate said.

"This is more reason to protect you, Celtic!" Liber slammed his fist on the table. The air around him shifted as his anger grew.

"I'm not leaving." Bane said.

"I'll be fine..." Celtic started.

"No!" Everyone jumped. Bane had never raised his voice before.

"..." Nate didn't know what to say. "Well... that's the second time this week you've left me speechless." Bane shot him a look. "...but I'm not going there..."

"Celtic, this time I must insist that there be guards posted." Liber said.

"But..." Celtic decided that Liber was probably right. "Alright."

"I'm still staying." Bane looked at Celtic.

"That's up to her." Liber wasn't about to get involved in whatever was happening between the Enchantress and the Archer.

"Like heck you're staying!" Frost argued.

"Frost!" Celtic was stern. "Bane is always welcome here. If he wants to stay, I have no problem with it."


	11. Another Change

**Another Change**

"What should I do?" Shadow asked, unsure of what he should do now.

"You'll come with me." Liber said. He still didn't trust him, so he wanted to keep an eye on him. Shadow nodded; understanding the mistrust.

"Celt, get some rest. You'll need your strength. "Dt said before she left.

"Bane, protect her." Nate pulled him aside. "Don't worry so much about certain things. Don't beat yourself up."

"Yeah." Bane said.

"I'll send Robo in a few weeks to check in. "Liber said. "Don't let your guard down; there's no telling what he'll do next."

"Thank you." Celtic smiled at Liber. "I know I can be stubborn..."

"It's both a strength and a weakness. "Liber squeezed her shoulder and then he and Shadow left. Nate soon followed.

"You can leave too, Bane. "Frost stood near the cottage; arms crossed over his chest.

"Frost!" Celtic looked at the General. "Don't you have dragons to tend to?"

"Fine." Frost said and headed to the Cold dragons.

"As do you, Andy." Celtic said when she saw Andy hovering.

"But..." Andy pouted. "Fine, I'm going."

"I know I should rest, but I should check on Neon and the others." Celtic said after a minute. She went to grab the basket, but Bane beat her to it.

"You're not going alone." Bane thought she was going to protest but she only nodded. They gathered some treats and then headed towards the Opposite hybrids.

"You're awfully quiet." Celtic said as they were walking along the path.

"Just thinking." Bane glanced at her

"Anything you care to share?" Celtic asked when he didn't elaborate.

"Not really." The truth was, he wasn't sure what he was thinking or why.

"Oh, okay." Celtic said. She failed to hide the disappoinment in her voice but she wasn't going to press the issue. They continued down the path in silence for a while.

"..." Bane sighed. He glanced at Celtic and noticed the look on her face. "Celtic, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Her reply was short. She was getting tired and her mind kept wandering to that kiss. She kept telling herself that it didn't mean anything.

"No, you're not." Bane stopped. "You're getting tired. You shouldn't push yourself."

"I said, I'm fine." Celtic started to walk forward but Bane pulled her back to him.

"Stop being stubborn." Bane watched as the fight left her eyes. "You haven't been sleeping, you're still recovering from the injury, and now your pushing yourself. Let others help you... let me understand."

"I'm fine." She repeated and looked away. The visions were becoming worse and she couldn't shake them... even when she was awake.

"I thought I deserved the truth?" Bane used her words against her. "I thought we were friends?"

"We are..." Celtic's head snapped up.

"Then let me understand; let me help if I can." He saw the saddness in her eyes. "If I did anything to hurt you..."

"Bane, don't." Celtic placed a hand on his cheek. "The reason I can't sleep has nothing to do with you. The visions are getting worse... and more frequent." She turned away from him.

"Tell me?" Bane grabbed her hand. "I want to help if I can."

"This is one burden you don't need." Celtic started to walk but Bane would not let go of her hand. Giving up the fight she turned and buried her face in his chest as the tears poured.

"It's one burden you shouldn't have to carry alone, Star." Bane held her tight as her sobs shook them both. After a few minutes she straightened.

"I'm sorry." She played with the fabric of his shirt; not wanting to look at him.

"Celtic..." Bane placed one hand on hers and used the other to lift her chin. The look on her face nearly broke his heart. "I'm here for you, no matter what."

"I hope these visions don't come true... to lose everyone would be tragic..." Celtic paused. "To lose you..." She looked away as more tears spilled over. "To lose you would be like losing a part of myself."

"..." Bane stood in shock as the words sank in.

"Sorry." Celtic stepped back; heat rising to her cheeks." I shouldn't have sai..." Before she knew what was happening, she was pulled into a hug.

"I'm glad you did." Bane pulled back to look at her. "You may be the 'Enchantress of the Elements' but you are more than that to me." He ran a hand through his hair and tried to find the right words. "Celtic..." Not finding the words, he bent down and kissed her. At first, Celtic wasn't sure what to do, but as her heart took over she melted into the kiss.

"Bane?" When she pulled back she couldn't understand the look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" Panic started to set in.

"Was that one of your visions?" Bane asked. The moment he felt Celtic respond to the kiss an image popped into his mind. "We were all lifeless... You and Liber were the last two alive..."

"What?" Celtic's eyes grew wide as she realized what might have just happened. "Oh..." Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about the vision Bane had just seen.

"Hey, it's okay." Bane kissed her forehead and then pulled her into a hug again. "No wonder you're not sleeping."

"It's horrible... none of these visions are good." Celtic pulled back to look at Bane. Understanding shown in his eyes, and for the first time since the visions started, she felt at peace. "As long as you're here, I'll be okay." She nestled into his chest.

"I'm not going anywhere. As long as I am welcomed, I'll be here." Bane said holding her tighter.

"You will always be welcomed... at least by me." Celtic said and then sighed. "As much as I could just stay in this moment; Neon and the others probably miss me."

"Yeah." Bane smiled. He bent down to grab the basket and they headed towards the Opposite hybrids once more. This time there was laughter and conversation.

"She's fully recovered." A man entered the throne room.

"She's stronger than I thought." Kululu growled. "Eddie, find her weakness."

"Wouldn't that be obvious?" Eddie replied. "Her friends..."

"I know that!" Kululu spat. "I want something that will crush her spirit in one blow."

"Kill Sir Bane." Eddie said. "They seem to be really close."

"That is an intriquing idea." Kululu thought. "Justin!"

"Yes?" Justin came a few minutes later.

"I have a job for you... one I think you'll enjoy." Kululu grinned. "Kill Sir Bane."

"Sire?" Justin wasn't sure what to make of that order.

"You heard me!" Justin nodded and the left to follow the order. He'd wanted to get Bane out of his way for over three years but something didn't feel right.

"Ugh... those two are always together now." Frost said. He and Andy were standing by the cottage while Bane and Celtic were with their dragons.

"Yep." Andy said. "You're just going to have to get used to it."

"I guess..." Frost shrugged his shoulders and headed inside.

"At least she seems happy." Andy followed. "With everything she's gone through... she deserves that much."

"What?" Celtic noticed Bane staring at her. They'd been talking and laughing but he suddenly stopped.

"It's good to see you happy." Bane smiled and reached for her hand.

"..." She smiled and blushed, unsure of what to say. "It's good to feel happy... you being here makes me happy."

"I'm glad." Bane pulled her closer. "You make me happy, too."

"Go for a walk?" Celtic asked. Bane nodded. "We're going for a walk!" She called out.

"Okay." Andy popped his head out the window.

"Where to?" Bane asked.

"I don't know." Celtic said with a smile. "Wherever we end up."

"Sounds good." Bane took her hand in his and they started down the path.

"Well, this was too easy." Justin's voice stopped them. "I thought I would have to wait longer... I was hoping that you would be alone, Bane."

"What do you want, Justin?" Bane said, positioning himself between Justin and Celtic.

"You know what I want." Justin looked at Celtic and then back at Bane. "You're in the way, again, Bane." Justin drew his sword.

"Don't do this, Justin." Bane's voice was tense. Celtic felt the air shift.

"Then get out of my way." Justin wasn't backing down.

"The only way to get rid of me is to kill me." Bane tensed. Celtic took a step back when she felt a shift in energy. She watched Bane's hands began to glow as an incredible energy grew.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Justin grinned.

"You don't want to do this, Justin." Celtic stepped in between them.

"Get out of my way!" Justin grabbed her arm and flung her to the side.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Bane said firmly. His want and need to protect Celtic only further fueled the changes he'd been feeling.

"And what is an Archer going to do without his bow." Justin was too confident that he would finally be rid of Bane.

"Element Shroud!" Celtic called out the command. A shield formed by all eight elements surrounded Bane.

"You fool!" Justin hurled an energy blast at Celtic.

"Metal Shroud!" She called just in time as a metal shield deflected the blast.

"I'm not even close to being done!" Justin shouted. His anger was growing.

"Neither am I." Bane said. His voice was stern. "If you ever come near her again, I will kill you."

"To make good on that threat, you'd have to be alive after this." Justin took a step towards Celtic. "She will be mine."

"I will never belong to you." Celtic hissed. She managed to move out of the when he tried to grab her. "Lightning Shock!" She threw lightning bolts at him.

"That won't hurt me." Justin laughed as he absorbed the lightning. "I'm from the Lightning clan."

"Fine, then, how about this?" Bane raised a hand to the sky. "Tsunami!" A ball of water formed in his hand.

"What?" Justin stood wide-eyed at what was happening. "That's impossible..."

"Water Spout!" Celtic called on the water element. Now, she, too, had a ball of water ready to attack.

"Leave now, or else." Bane said. He could see the energy draining from Celtic. She still wasn't strong enough to use as much power as she was.

"Ahh!" Justin charged at Bane.

"No!" Celtic hurled the element at Justin.

"Ahh!" Bane cried out as Justin's sword sliced his arm. "Tsunami!" This time he hurled the attack at Justin, knocking him to the ground.

"Bane!" Celtic ran over to him.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Bane reassured her.

"This... this isn't over." Justin stood on shaky legs.

"Give Kululu a message: if he ever tries to kill Celtic again he won't live another day." Bane stood tall. He watched surprise flicker across Justin's face.

"..." Justin nodded and then took a step towards Celtic. "If only you'd chosen me..."

"I didn't... and I never will." Celtic stepped closer to Bane who wrapped his uninjured arm around her.

"Now get out of here before I change my mind about letting you go." Bane glared as Justin. Without waisting another minute, Justin left.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Celtic said as she noticed the blood pouring down Bane's arm.

"I'll be fine. Are you okay?" Bane smiled at her, she nodded.

"Tired, but I'll be okay. We should get back." She started to walk but Bane grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. "What are you..."

"Let's just spend a moment here." Bane smiled at her... the attack forgotten for a moment.

"What is it?" Celtic asked when she saw saddness fill his eyes.

"I could have lost you..." Bane kissed the palm of her hand. "There have been too many times recently when I could have lost you."

"I'm still here." Celtic felt her heart quicken at the look in Bane's eyes. She quickly turned her face away as heat rose to her cheeks.

"Celtic?" Bane couldn't figure out what happened.

"No one has ever looked at me that way before." She still didn't look at him.

"And what way is that?" Bane tried to fight the smile that tugged at his lips. His tone made her look at him.

"Are you teasing me, Archer?" Celtic smiled at the thought.

"No one else better look at you that way... I'm the only one who can." Bane was still teasing, but he was also serious.

"You've never struck me as the jealous type, Archer." Celtic said as they headed back to the cottage.

Bane took her hand in his and interlocked their fingers. "Maybe I've never before had a reason to be jealous."

"And now you do?" Celtic teased.

"Now I do, Enchantress." Bane kissed the back of her hand and smiled deeply at her.

"There you guys are. Robo's been here for a while, waiting on you." Andy said when Celtic and Bane got closer to the cottage.

"What happened?" Robo noticed Bane's arm.

"Justin attacked us." Celtic said.

"Please tell me you killed him." Frost replied.

"No. He's taking a message back to Kululu." Bane replied.

"..." Frost shook his head.

"Robo, once Bane's arm is tended to, we need to see Master Argyos and the others." Celtic said, ignoring Frost. She looked at Bane. He understood.

"Certainly." Robo replied.


	12. Training

**Training**

"Wait, what happened exactly?" Liber asked. Bane, Celtic, Andy, Frost, and Robo had gone to the Main Island.

"We were taking a walk when Justin attacked us." Celtic answered.

"Then what happened?" Dt asked. "I understand why you've told us that Justin attacked, but Robo could have brought that news back."

"I can command the forces of nature." Bane stated. Silence filled the room. "I've been feeling the change but it hadn't manifested until now."

"Legend says that when the true 'Enchantress of the Elements' awakens so will her guardian." Master Argyos spoke up.

"What are you saying?" Dt questioned.

"I'm saying that this explains the connection between them. They've been close since the beginning and now I know why." Argyos replied.

"What do you mean by 'true Enchantress of the Elements'?" Nate hadn't missed that phrase.

"I've been reading over the legends and prophecies again. Yes, Dt was able to control all eight elements, but the 'true' Enchantress is a lot more." Argyos answered.

"Like the visions?" Celtic brought up. The thought had been that the poison had affected the visions but Celtic hadn't been so sure of that.

"Yes, the visions are definitely part of it." Argyos explained. "Visions come with the change in power, but the true Enchantress will not lose them once the change is complete. She will also have a guardian who can command the forces of nature."

"So Bane's her guardian?" Frost thought a moment. "That could explain things..."

"My feelings for Celtic run deeper than my need to protect her." Bane hadn't missed the implication.

"I wasn't trying..." Frost started.

"Frost..." Celtic cut him off. "What Argyos says makes sense. It explains a lot."

"Yeah." Bane said. Celtic looked at him and saw the hurt flicker in his eyes.

"Let's just take some time and think about this." Nate spoke when he noticed Bane's expression. The others nodded in agreement. Bane was the first to leave the room. "Go talk to him. I know you didn't mean it the way it came out."

"Thanks, Nate." Celtic smiled and then went to find Bane.

"Do you think...?" Bane asked when Celtic approached him. She stood in front of him and took his hands in hers.

"No." Celtic said without hesitation. "I know my heart. I know that I'd feel this way about you regardless."

"Are you sure?" Bane looked at her.

"'Doubt thou the stars are fire; doubt that the sun doth move; doubt truth be a liar; but never doubt I love.'"* Celtic reached up and kissed him gently. "Never doubt my feelings for you."

"..." Bane wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry."

"For?" Celtic wasn't sure what he meant.

"For doubting." Bane pulled her closer. "For doubting your feelings... but mostly for doubting mine."

"But you said..." Celtic pulled back a little in surprise.

"And I meant it... but I hesitated. For a brief moment I thought maybe I had confused myself... that it was because I'm your guardian..." Bane wasn't sure how Celtic would react to that confession. "And then with what you said..."

"Bane, this is new. We're in uncharted territory. I'm not going to hold hesitation and doubt against you. My feelings for you deepen and strengthen my want to protect you."

"I have more selfish reasons to make sure you're safe, Enchantress." Bane brushed her hair out of her face before kissing her softly.

"Seriously? Those two?" Dt said. She was standing with Liber and Nate by the window.

"You didn't see that coming?" Liber replied. "I saw that three years ago. I'm just surprised it took them this long."

"That right there..." Nate pointed at Bane and Celtic. "Is a good thing."

"How so?" Dt asked. "We're in the middle of preparing for battle and they're out there being like... that."

"So?" Liber questioned. "Their feelings for each other will help them. Bane has more reasons to protect her than any of us."

"But they should be focusing on battle, not each other." Dt stated.

"Dt, relax. I'm happy for them. They have more reason to want victory than most of us. If we lose, do you think Kululu is going to let any of us live?"

"No, but..." Dt was losing the argument. "She should be preparing for the road ahead..."

"She is, in her own way." Liber agreed with Nate. "This is good for them... and ultimately the Kingdom."

"You three really should keep your voices down." Celtic and Bane entered the room.

"I'm glad some approve." Bane stated.

"It's not that I disapprove..." Dt started.

"Now is not the time to worry about who approves or not." Celtic interrupted. "There are bigger, and definitely more important, things to worry about. We don't need anyone's approval but we do need to work together."

"Celt's right." Frost and Andy entered the room. "They don't need approval from any of us. If they want to be together that's their choice. Robo has already sent for the others. It's time to prepare."

"Agreed." Bane said. They met up with the others on the Training Island.

"'If he ever tries to kill Celtic again, he won't live another day.'" Justin relayed Bane's message to Kululu.

"So, they know it was me." Kululu thought for a moment. "You failed, Justin. I sent you to kill Sir Bane and yet he lives."

"He's stronger than we thought." Justin defended his failure.

"I guess there is no other choice but to go into battle. If she dies, it's on you. If you had done what was asked of you... this wouldn't be happening." Kululu tried to blame Justin.

"I'll go prepare the troops." Justin said. His hands were clenched into tight fists. He was really starting to hate Kululu.

"So, they're together? Like together, together?" Bre asked during a break from training. Celtic and Bane were sitting together in the grass.

"Yes they are." Andy replied. Celtic's laughter drifted on the breeze.

"They can laugh in the middle of preparing for war?" Pickle said. He couldn't understand it.

"They're happy. That's a good thing." Lati replied.

"It's kind of sickening." Echo pretended to gag. "But, yeah, they're happy so who cares."

"I bet they're talking about us." Celtic said when she noticed the group keep looking over at her and Bane.

"Let them." Bane answered. "What they say doesn't affect us. Besides, it gives them something other than the war to talk about."

"True." Celtic smiled. Bane kissed her on the cheek.

"I swear I'm going to throw up if they start making out." Wiz said.

"Relax, Wiz. They're not like that." Nate joined the group. "Besides, it's about time to return to the Colosseum."

"Celt, can I talk to you for a minute?" Dt pulled Celtic aside. "Alone." She added when she saw Bane hovering.

"It's okay." Celtic said and watched Bane head into the Colosseum with the others. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm concerned about you?" Dt said.

"What about exactly?" Celtic remained calm even though she had a feeling she knew what this was about.

"I'm concerned that Bane is clouding your judgment... .that your relationship with him is distracting you from what's most important right now." Dt replied.

"What's most important? You mean the safety and happiness of the Kingdom? The battle that will happen any day now?" Celtic took a deep breath. "When we're training, Bane and I are focused one hundred percent. It seems to me, that you're the one who is distracted." She turned and headed into the Colosseum.

"Are you okay?" Bane asked when he noticed that Celtic seemed a little upset.

"Yeah... besides, it's nothing to worry about or discuss right now." Celtic reassured him with a smile.

"Okay." Bane wasn't convinced but he'd let it go for now.

"Fire Blast!" Celtic was using the training as a way to release some of the tension she was feeling towards Dt.

"Geez, Celt, ease up a little." Pickle said after getting knocked off his feet for the third time that session.

"Sorry, Pickle." Celtic replied. They all took a short break before continuing.

"Hurricane!" Bane called and a strong gust of wind deflected an attack aimed at Celtic.

"He's good." Wolfie said. The Generals were standing around watching Bane and Celtic train. The Mistresses were using their attacks.

"Gust!" Celtic deflected an attack aimed at Bane. "Water shroud!" She, then, blocked an attack aimed at her.

"They're both good. Look at that teamwork." Nate said. "They move as one without even thinking."

"Are you doing okay?" Bane asked Celtic as they were standing back to back.

"Yeah." Celtic said. Her breathing was heavy and Bane could tell.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Bane suggested.

"There are no breaks during battle." Celtic replied.

"Alright, Mistresses, use everything at once." Dt said. She thought she could see that the two were losing focus.

"Element Shroud!" Celtic felt the shift in the elements and knew the massive attack was coming. She grabbed Bane's hand and he, too, was shielded.

"Woah..." Echo said. "It's almost like she knew."

"She did." Liber replied. "She probably felt the shift in the elements."

"Ahh!" Celtic's cry froze everyone. The shield weakened, but the attacks were still coming.

"Keep going." Dt commanded.

"Back off! Can't you see she's weak?" Andy replied.

"Keep going." Dt repeated. "She needs to experience this. When she's weak in battle, the enemy won't back off."

"Ahh!" Bane used himself to shield Celtic.

"Enough!" Liber yelled. "They've had enough." The Mistresses stopped.

"But..." Dt started to protest.

"They need to regain their strength... we don't need them going into battle already weakened." Nate interrupted.

"Celtic, are you alright?" Bane got to his feet and then helped Celtic up.

"Ugh..." Celtic moaned. "It hurts all over..." She leaned into Bane.

"I've got you." Bane picked her up and carried her to where the others were standing.

"This is why she needs to be pushed." Dt said.

"If you ever pull something like that again..." Bane practically hissed.

"Come on, let's call it a day." Nate said. He understood what Dt was saying, but he didn't agree with it.

"Conditioning someone is not blasting them all at once and then continuing to blast them when they're down." Liber said when the Generals and Mistresses had left. "From now on, leave the training to Nate. We need to work together... breaking someone's trust in you is not the way to go."

"Fine." Dt said. She headed out of the Colosseum. Nate, Liber, Bane, and Celtic remained.

"Celtic, are you sure you're okay?" Liber asked. She was leaning on Bane with her eyes closed.

"I'll be fine. I just need..." Celtic shot straight up; her eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" Bane felt her fear just as strongly as if it were his own.

"My... the... dragons... gone..." Celtic wasn't making any sense.

"Another visions?" Nate asked. Celtic nodded.

"What was it?" Liber wanted to know. Bane pulled Celtic into his arms.

"Celtic, show me." Bane said. Celtic looked at him. She shook her head. "Please." He placed his forehead against hers. He felt her relax and as he closed his eyes, the images of her latest vision flashed before him.

"That's new..." Nate said as he and Liber watch the two.

"It's just a vision." Bane pulled Celtic tighter as she released the tears that had built up. "Would you feel better if someone went to check?" He felt her nodded.

"Check what?" Liber asked.

"Can you send you send someone to check on..." Just then, the sound of a dragon's cry filled the air.

"Neon." Celtic took off running. Before anyone could stop her, she was on Claddagh and heading to her Opposite hybrids. Bane was right behind her.

"I knew this would draw you out." Celtic heard a man's voice come from where Neon and the others lived.

"What have you done?!" Celtic saw Neon laying on the ground; his breathing labored.

"This is just the beginning." The man replied.

"Opposite Shift!" Celtic blasted the man with a powerful fire and cold attack. She grabbed her halbred from Claddagh and pointed it at the man's throat.

"Celtic, I'll take care of him. Tend to Neon." Bane laid a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and headed over to the dragon.

"Bane?" Nate and Liber showed up.

"He attacked Neon." Bane said as he picked up the man. "He's unconscious, but he'll live."

"That's Eddie. My replacement." Shadow was asked to come along just in case.

"My dear friend..." Celtic's soft voice got the men's attention. She had knelt beside the injured dragon. "Opposite heal..." She laid a hand on the dragon's wound. The air around them shifted between hot and cold as her hand began to glow. After a few minutes, Celtic lifted her hand. The injury was healed, but Celtic was very weak.

"Celtic!" Bane rushed over to her when he saw her collapse.

"Get her back to the cottage. Nate and I will take this guy to the dungeons." Liber looked at Shadow. "Can I trust you?"

"What do you mean?" Shadow asked.

"Can I trust you?" Liber repeated the question.

"Yes." Shadow responded. He looked at Celtic who was passed out in Bane's arms.

"Can I trust you?" Bane asked the same question. He knew what Liber was getting at. He looked down at Celtic. "We both need to get rest... I can't stay up to protect her. Can I trust you to protect us both?"

"Yes." Shadow nodded. He'd seen the selflessness of Celtic... her care and concern for everyone over herself... he knew what side to stand on now. "You can trust me. She's the hope of the future."

"The Generals won't like this, but they'll get over it... so long as no harm comes to either of them." Nate said. They made their way to the cottage. Nate and Liber left with the prisoner.

"Bane, get some sleep." Shadow said when he noticed that Bane was still standing by Celtic. "Our dragons are blocking all entrances to the cottage. I'll stand guard as well."

"Thank you." Bane laid down on the couch and was fast asleep before too long.

"Good morning, Shadow." Celtic kept her voice soft as not to wake Bane.

"Morning." Shadow replied. "Sleep well?" Celtic nodded.

"Have you been up all night?" She noticed the tired look on his face. He nodded. "Thank you." She looked at Bane who was still asleep on the couch. "He needed to rest and you being here allowed that."

"It was the least I could do for you..." Shadow paused.

"What do you mean?" Celtic stood up and leaned against the bed.

"You saved my life... you've shown me a different side to people. I've only ever known bitterness and hate..." Shadow didn't want to go into any more detail about his past.

"People can be both evil and good. I choose to be good because it makes me a better person... even to those who seek evil." Celtic thought about Justin. There had been something in his eyes the last time she saw him... almost as if something had changed. "What clan do you come from?"

"Air. Why?" Shadow looked questioningly at the Enchantress.

"Just wondering..." Celtic thought for a moment. "When did your hair and eyes change?"

"The moment I chose to join Justin. Sometimes I forget what it used to look like..." Shadow trailed off.

"Maybe one day, you'll see it again." Celtic smiled.

***Author's Note:**

"Doubt thou the stars are fire..." William Shakespeare, _Hamlet. Act 2, Scene 2_


	13. The Final Battle

**The Final Battle**

"How are you feeling?" Liber asked Celtic and Bane as they joined the others on the Training Island.

"Rested." Celtic replied. They'd spent two days resting on the Island of Fire and Cold.

"Now back to training." Dt said.

"Can I train with you?" Shadow asked.

"I don't think..." Echo started to say.

"I see no reason why he can't." Bane interrupted.

"It would be best if you did." Celtic looked at Shadow.

"Shouldn't that be Liber's call?" Wiz asked. None of the Generals seemed willing to accept Shadow.

"He can train. He's earned my trust." Liber said.

"But..." Pickle started.

"Shadow, you have earned my trust." Celtic looked at Shadow again. "If you had any intention to harm me, you had ample opportunity to do so."

"I've changed sides. I know what side I want to stand on." Shadow spoke. "Justin and Kululu are wrong. Celtic, and all of you, are the hope for a better future... not just for the Kingdom, but also for me."

"If Celtic, Liber, and Bane trust him, I don't see any reason he can't train with us." Ellie agreed.

"..." Wiz started to say something but a look from Latias shut him up.

"It's settled. Shadow will train and fight along side us." Nate said. He turned to Shadow. "Remember that anyone of us could, and will, kill you if you betray us." Shadow nodded.

"Shall we?" Dt suggested. "We don't know when Kululu plans to attack, so we need to be ready for anything."

"Let's get this over with." Pickle said. The group made their way into the Colosseum.

"Celt?" Dt pulled her aside. This time Bane wasn't leaving. "I'm sorry for pushing the other day."

"I understand why... we need to be ready for battle. I understand, but you need to trust that we know what we're doing. You need to trust that we are focused." Celtic said. Dt nodded and the three entered the Colosseum.

"Eddie failed." Justin entered the room. "He is being held in the dungeons."

"He's of little use to me now anyways." Kululu replied.

"What is the plan?" Justin asked. He'd been on edge the past few days, waiting for Kululu to make his move.

"We will attack the day after tomorrow... They'll be tired from training so much." Kululu answered. Justin nodded and then left.

"Celtic?" A figure emerged from the shadows. Celtic had been looking at stars after another vision.

"Justin?!" Celtic took a step back. Justin grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him. "Let go..." He placed a hand over her mouth.

"Keep quiet!" He hissed. "I'm not going to hurt you if you just relax." He removed his hand when she nodded.

"What do you want?" Celtic tried to get out of his grip but he only tightened his hold.

"You know what I want..." Justin inched his face closer to hers.

"Get any closer and I'll scream." Celtic said as she moved her face away from his.

"You'd be wise to keep your mouth shut." Justin grabbed the back of her neck. "The battle's coming very soon. Be prepared." After the warning, he moved in closer. A pain shot through his arm. "Gah!" He loosened his grip when he realized what happened.

"You're lucky I didn't do that sooner." Celtic hissed.

"I come here to warn you, and that's how you treat me?" Justin went to grab her again but someone grabbed his arm.

"Touch her like that again and you'll be sorry." A familiar voice made Celtic look at the newcomer. "Get out of here, Justin."

"Who would have thought you, of all people, would show back up?" Justin looked at Heat. "I'm leaving... but mark my words: the battle is set. The day after tomorrow will decide your fate." He left after that.

"Celtic?" Celtic heard Bane's voice. When she saw him, she rushed into his arms. "What happened? You're shaking like a leaf." Bane held her tight and looked at Heat.

"Justin was just here." Heat said. "He mentioned something about a battle coming soon."

"Celtic, did he hurt you?" Bane pulled back to look at her face. The look in her eyes said it all. "If he ever touches you again..." He pulled her tight against him again and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll go mention this to the others..." Heat said, feeling a little awkward standing there.

"Thank you, Heat." Bane nodded as Heat headed inside. "Celtic..." He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm sorry." Celtic's voice was soft. "I should have..." Bane placed a finger on her lips.

"No, it's not your fault... don't ever think that." Bane lifted her chin so she had to look at him. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again." He kissed her forehead.

"As you wish." Celtic smiled at him and then kissed him softly. They headed inside after a few more minutes.

"Why do you even care?!" Celtic and Bane entered the room to see Heat and Wiz arguing. "You left remember?"

"That doesn't mean I don't care. That doesn't mean I want to see her get hurt." Heat replied.

"Gust!" Wiz called his element.

"Quake!" Celtic sent a blast of the Earth element at Wiz; knocking him off his feet.

"That's what you..." Heat stopped when he saw the look on Celtic's face.

"Was that necessary?" Wiz asked as he got to his feet.

"Earth..." Echo started.

"Enough!" The air in the room shifted when Celtic spoke. "The battle is coming and yet you bicker amongst yourselves. If we expect to defend our future we must trust one another and work together."

"Celtic's right, we can't let things get between us. We need to focus on defending the hope, the peace, and the future of the people... and of the Kingdom." Liber said. The room was silent for a few minutes.

"We should get some rest. We'll run though strategies tomorrow." Nate broke the silence.

"Give up, Liber." Kululu said as his army faced Liber and the others on the battle field. "You can't win."

"Even if that were true, we still would not give up easily." Liber replied.

"If you won't give up, then you will die." With that, Kululu signaled the attack.

The battle was getting worse, and Justin was starting to realize he'd made a mistake by teaming up with Kululu. It was becoming quite clear what Kululu's intentions were. Justin scanned the battlefield and spotted his target. Bane was nowhere near her. He started to approach, when he watched her get knocked to the ground by one of Kululu's men.

"Fire...!" Her attack was cut short. "Ahh!" Her scream echoed over the battlefield as the man's dagger plunged into her shoulder.

"If she dies; we win." Justin turned to the sound of his voice, eyes wide. "You really believed I'd spare the one thing that could ruin everything?" Kululu's laughter was pure evil. "I'm not going to make my move yet, though. She looks like she's having fun." With that Kululu headed back into the action.

"Protect Celtic!" Liber's command rang clear amidst the sounds of battle and the roar of the dragons. Justin hadn't obeyed an order from Liber in years... so why was he so compelled to now?

Celtic was struggling... she wasn't conditioned to handle all eight elements at once-regretfully, that was her fault. This enemy was strong but she kept blocking his attacks... except the one that had left her shoulder bleeding. The loss of blood was not helping her strength any. "Electro... shock!" She thrusted her halbred into her attacker as lightning bolts encased it. Breathing heavy, she got to her feet. Scanning the field, she watched as her side seemingly had no hope.

"Celtic." She froze at the sound of his voice. Turning slowly, she locked eyes with Justin.

"Ice..."

"Wait..." Justin held his hands up. "You have every right to kill me... after everything I've done... but, please, let me protect you. On pain of death, I won't let Kululu kill you."

"Why?" Celtic's eyes narrowed, suspicion lurking behind them.

"You're the only one who can help defeat him and he knows it. He's going to kill you before this battle is over." Celtic saw the sincerety in his eyes but doubt still lingered.

In the midst of all the action, Bane found himself separated from Celtic. Now he scanned the field and his gaze locked on the sight of Justin facing Celtic... but they weren't fighting. He found himself moving in that direction but before he got there, a blast of energy flew by him, knocking him to his knees. "What was that?" He looked over at Ellie who was the closet to him.

"Kululu..." Ellie got to her feet. "He's targeting Celtic."

The blast was so sudden, Celtic wasn't sure what was happening. Before she could react, Justin threw himself on top of her, protecting her from the impact. "Justin?" No response.

"Ugh... that hurt..." Justin's voice was weak and strained. "Are you alright?" He stood on shakey legs and helped Celtic to her feet.

"Yeah." Celtic winced a little when she picked up her weapon.

"Are you okay?!" Bane came running up to her. He noticed the blood. "Celtic..."

"I'm fine, Bane." She smiled weakly at him. Celtic took a deep breath to steady herself. "Justin, you were right... and thank you... not sure I would have been able to survive that blast."

"Right about what, exactly?" Bane tensed; he didn't like the idea of Justin so close to his Enchantress.

"Kululu is determined to kill Celtic before this battle is over." Justin answered. He understood the defensive stance from the Archer. "He knows that she's the only thing that will lead to his distruction."

"Ice shroud!" Celtic shot an ice shield around them as another blast came. "..." She felt the wind get knocked out of her the moment the blast made impact.

"Hey, easy." Bane grabbed her elbow when he saw her stumble.

"We've got to kill Kululu!" Andy shouted. He watched both blasts aimed at Celtic.

"Distract him... I'll do the rest." Liber said. They tried as best they could.

"Meteor shower!" Latias and Andy shouted together. Firey rocks went flying at Kululu... easily deflected.

"Electro shock!" Bre, Joy, Ellie, and Wolfie threw electrofied spikes at Kululu. It was a direct hit but he was still standing.

"You fools!" Kululu shouted and sent one more blast hurling at Celtic.

"Ahh!" Justin's cry followed the impact.

"Justin?" Celtic struggled underneath his body.

"..." Justin coughed. "Bane, protect her..." They were his last words. Celtic pushed his lifeless body off of her. Bane helped her stand.

"He was the biggest fool of all!" Kululu laughed.

"That might be so... but he was the one who led to your destruction." Liber had taken the opportunity to sneak around behind Kululu.

"Ahh!" With a clean sweep of his blades, Liber defeated the last threat to his Kingdom.

"Liber, look out!" Celtic shouted when she noticed Kululu was about to attack. "All of the elements, lend me you powers. Elemental Shift!" A huge blast of energy flew towards Kululu killing him instantly. Even though it hit Liber, he was unharmed.

"..." Everyone stood in silence; the sound of the blast deafening.

"Bane, I..." Celtic said before losing her balance.

"I got you." Bane caught her before she fell. He, then, picked her up and carried her to the healers.

"She's always over doing it." Pickle shook his head.

"You'd think she would have learned after the last time." Wiz agreed.

"I can still hear you." Even on the field of battle, their laughter rang true.

"Who knew Justin would actually care about someone other than himeself... enough to sacrifice himself." Andy commented.

"Out of all the commands he disobeyed in the past... I'm glad he chose to obey that one." Liber grinned.

"What happens now?" Wolfie asked.

"We go home." Pickle replied.

"There are a few things that need to be done before we part ways." Liber looked at the group around him... his family. "I don't think this is the place though." He looked at the battlefield as the Earth dragons continued to bury the fallen.

"We'll convene on the Main Island." Dt added. After a few minutes of silence, they made their way to the Main Island. Celtic stood next to Claddagh and looked back at the field.

"We can't look back." Bane stood next to her, his hand resting on her hip. She nodded slightly. "Do you regret anything?" Celtic looked at Bane; she understood the implication in his question. She turned to face him.

"No." Celtic rested a hand over Bane's heart. "I have no regrets." Bane placed his hands on hers and smiled.

"Good. That is good." He kissed her deeply and then they made their way to the Main Island.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Celtic, are you alright?" Andy walked over to her. She was standing in the open field looking into the distant sky.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Celtic didn't even look at him when she answered. Her voice betrayed her. It had been months since the Final Battle and a lot had happened. Celtic was adjusting to the changes, not only within herself but also throughout the kingdom.

"What's wrong?" Andy knew her too well. "Are you alright with the new elements?"

"Yes. My control is getting stronger with each passing day." Celtic was growing in controlling ten elements now. Light and Dark had manifested in her dreams and visions first. After a week of these dreams and visions, the elements became physical. "In time, we will need to awaken the Mistress of Light and Dark... and the Generals."

"Then what's bothering you?" Andy pushed.

"I am just trying to deal with the other changes." Celtic let out of deep breath as she thought about all that had happened recently. "It seems like each day there is another message of someone deciding to leave. Pickle, Liber, Dt, Wiz, Echo... it just seems like everyone is gone."

"Frost and I are still here. Joy, Grim, and Ellie. Bre, Wolfie, and Eme. Lati, Robo, Shadow... we're still here. And most importantly, Bane." Andy watched her reaction to that last name. "What's wrong?" He didn't miss the glint of tears.

"I'm fine." Celtic's answer was short and her eyes grew dark.

"Keep telling yourself that and maybe one day, I'll believe it." Andy shook his head. "When was the last time you talked to him?"

"Does it matter?" Celtic clenched her hands into fists, and then turned towards the forest. "I'm going to check on Neon and the others... I probably won't be back for a while." Andy watched as she headed into the forest. Claddaugh, with a baby Dream dragon on her back, followed behind.

"Where's Celtic?" Frost asked as he came to stand beside Andy.

"She went to go check on Neon. She said she wouldn't be back for a while." Andy shook his head and then looked at Frost. "I hate to meddle... but I have to do something."

"Do you think he'll even listen? She hasn't heard anything from him in weeks... Maybe he's moved on like everyone else." Frost knew what Andy was talking about. He, too, had watched Celtic struggle with this.

"I hate to meddle... but I have to do something." Andy repeated.

"I knew he would hurt her..." Frost shook his head.

"Don't be like that. He just gets caught up in things and..." Andy trailed off.

"Forgets? Forgets the promises he made; forgets the choice he made to be with her above anything else?" Frost looked at the Fire General. "I hope she forgets about him; it would serve him right."

"Frost... You don't really mean that." Andy looked at Frost. He knew the Cold General didn't mean what he was saying. They both knew that, no matter what, Celtic would never forget about Bane... and that Bane wasn't hurting her intentionally. They knew, one day, he'd come around and realize what was important again. "He's been busy. There have been a lot of Seasonal element dragons show up on his island. He's been training them to help with the harvesting of the crops now that Halo is gone."

"So that gives him the right to stand her up? Twice? With no word?" Frost spat. He wasn't so easily convinced. "Do what you feel you have to... I don't like seeing her like this anymore than you do." Frost knew that, no matter how much he thought Bane deserved to lose Celtic, Celtic would never give up on him.

"I'll be back in a few days." Andy said and then headed outside. "Hopefully not alone." He added under his breath.

"For her sake." Frost heard the last part. He and Andy looked at each other and then into the darkening forest. "Take this, maybe it will snap him out of whatever it is that is keeping him away." Frost handed an arrow charm to Andy.

"This is..." Andy looked at it and recognized it immediately.

"I found it on the windowsill this morning... I don't think she took it off though. It looks like the link broke." Frost said before heading out to the Cold dragons. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Andy said and then headed off to the Farm Island.

"..." Bane stood and stretched. Even though Autumn had started it was still a warm day. "Lunch time, I think, Arbor." He walked over to his Seasonal dragon and leaned against him. Arbor snorted. "Why are you being like that?" Arbor had been acting up recently. If Arbor could talk, Bane was sure he'd be getting the silent treatment. He watched the Seasonal element dragons busy working in the farms. They had come a long way and now know not to eat what they harvest.

"Bane?" A voice came from behind him.

"Andy?" Bane turned around and saw the Fire General standing next to his Solstice dragon. "What are you...?" Bane couldn't understand the unexpected visit.

"I came to give you this." Andy approached and handed Bane the arrow charm.

"Did she give this to you to give to me?" Bane looked at the charm and thought back to when he had first given it to Celtic. It had been a symbol of their friendship and over the past months it had become so much more.

"No. Frost did." Andy wasn't going to let on that the link had broken. He wanted to see if Bane thought Celtic had moved on.

"Oh." Bane wasn't sure what to think. "I don't know what to say." He knew he'd messed up, he wouldn't blame her if she decided to move on. Andy watched the emotions play across the Archer's face.

"She hasn't moved on... not yet." Andy spoke up. "She secludes herself in the forest with Neon and the others for days on end... but she hasn't moved on. She thinks you have."

"Oh." Again, Bane wasn't sure what to say or think. "I..."

"Everyone seems to be moving on. Liber, DT, Echo, Wiz, Pickle... She's starting to think you have too. You made the choice to stay with her, above everything else. When Halo left, she understood that you had to come back here... but that was with the understanding that you'd come back to her after a while. I need to know how long 'a while' is going to be. She needs to know if you ever plan on returning to her or if you have moved on." Andy, again, watched the emotions play across Bane's face as he thought about those words.

"I hadn't realized... Every time I talked to her, she always said that she was fine and that I needed to take care of things here." Bane shook his head and then looked at Arbor. The dragon snorted at him again.

"Yeah, she's great at telling people that she's fine even when she's not." Andy could understand what Bane was saying. "How are you holding up?"

"I've been better. I could use some time away from all of this, honestly." Bane looked around at the farms and then at the charm in his hand. "If I just had someone to help out around here..."

"The whole Kingdom needs more people to help out. We've lost quite a few due to people moving on and starting new adventures." Andy said. "At some point we're going to need to find the Mistress for the new elements."

"Huh?" Bane hadn't heard about there being new elements.

"Celtic didn't mention it to you?" Andy looked questioningly at Bane.

"No." Bane wasn't sure why she hadn't mentioned anything to him. "It never came up..." Now he really wanted to see her.

"Interesting..." Andy thought for a moment. "Well, it's not my position to say anything so... I guess you'll just have to talk to her about that. I'm heading back to the island now. Feel free to join me or you can take whatever time you need.

"Thanks." Bane thought for a moment. "I think I need to figure a few things out first." Andy nodded and then headed back to his island.

"..." Celtic was sitting on a rock near Neon's cave when a huge gust of wind blew through the valley. She shivered a little. She'd been out there for almost a week now and had no intention of returning to the cottage anytime soon.

"Celtic..." The voice seemed distant but it was unmistakable for her. Her body tensed as the air grew colder. "Try as you might, you cannot get away from me. I will always be there as a reminder of what you are capable of..."

"No... I didn't have a choice. I did what I had to do." Celtic protested.

"What about me?" Another voice joined in the conversation. "You just let me die."

"You died protecting me... there wasn't time to save you." This was a side effect to being able to control the Light and Dark elements. The Dark brought out the doubts and fears in a person.

"If you had chosen me, I would still be alive. If you had realized you could have loved me..." The second voice taunted.

"No, my choice was made. I chose what was right and good. I do not regret the choices I've made." Celtic drew from the Light in fighting the Darkness.

"If you had chosen Justin, you wouldn't ever be alone." The first voice interjected.

"I am not alone..." There wasn't much faith behind those words.

"You are not alone." His voice stopped the Darkness and her heart. Bane approached and noticed the images in the water. "You two can leave now." The images flickered out as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry. I should have been here sooner."

"You had more important things to do." Celtic leaned against him; she could feel the tension leave her as it was replaced with his warmth.

"Nothing should be more important than you." Bane turned her around to face him. "Why didn't you tell me about the new elements?"

"I didn't want you to worry; you had enough going on." Celtic couldn't believe he was standing in front of her. Tears pricked her eyes and she buried herself into his chest.

"Makes sense." Bane hadn't realized how much he had missed this feeling. "Okay, that's it."

"What?" Celtic pulled back and looked at him.

"This time, I really am never letting go." He smiled warmly at her. "I have a few things to give you, but first what was that with Blue and Justin?"

"A side effect of controlling Light and Dark. Darkness brings out the fears and doubts." Celtic took a deep breath. "The fear of being alone, of making a mistake, of regretting choices... of becoming evil. The fear of letting the evil within rule."

"You are not evil. You could never be evil. You think of others before yourself. You have been the source of hope for the kingdom. There's a reason you were chosen as the Enchantress of the Elements. You have to believe in yourself." Bane wasn't sure where these words were coming from but he knew they were true.

"You are my light, Archer." Celtic smiled at him. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Same." Bane took her hand in his and they headed to the cottage.

"Claddaugh, Sonnet, let's go home." The Celtic dragon and the Dream dragon toddled along behind the couple.

"Um... When did you get a Dream dragon?" Bane glanced at the three dragons behind them.

"The other week..." Celtic replied sheepishly. Bane laughed at her facial expression. He kissed her forehead and they continued along the path.

"..." Andy sighed with relief when he noticed Bane and Celtic coming down the path from the forest. "Good." He and Frost exchanged glances, both felt a weight lift off their shoulders. "Maybe we should leave them alone?"

"You don't have to tell me twice." Frost said. As much as he liked seeing Bane and Celtic together, he would rather not spend the evening with the couple who probably had a lot of catching up to do.

"Celtic, before we get back to the cottage I want to give you two things." Bane stopped walking. He took her wrist in his hands and placed the arrow charm back on it.

"How did you get that?" Celtic had been looking everywhere for the charm.

"Frost gave it to Andy and Andy gave it to me..." Bane replied.

"Oh, I've been looking everywhere for it... I guess the link broke." Before Celtic could pull her hand back, Bane placed a ring on her finger. "What's...?"

"I asked a Diamond dragon and an Aquamarine dragon for a favor." Bane cleared his throat.

"Are you blushing?" Celtic teased a little. She had to do something to calm her nerves.

"I said that I am never letting you go, and I mean it. Marry me and be with me always?" Bane's heart was beating so fast he was having a hard time breathing.

"Bane, I would..." Celtic was interrupted by the roar of a dragon. "What was that?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have an emergency." Robo came running up to the pair.

"Robo, what's happened?" Celtic and Bane looked at the man.

"Eddie has escaped from the dungeon... He's a lot stronger than we thought." Robo took a deep breath. "We may need to gather everyone again, as a precaution."

"Alright, send word, we'll gather tomorrow on the Main Island." Celtic said. "And, Bane, the answer is 'yes'."

"Cool." Bane smiled. They both laughed at Robo's reaction.


End file.
